Shiv

Nature of Action: ​The Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacist of British Columbia (the “College”) conducted an investigation into the practice of Shiv Kumar Sharma (the “Registrant”), pursuant to section 33(1) of the Health Professions Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183. The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant have agreed to resolve all matters arising from the investigation by way of a Consent Agreement under section 36(1) of the Health Professions Act.

Effective date: April 15, 2020

Name of registrant: Shiv Kumar Sharma

Location of Practice: Surrey, BC

Admissions and Acknowledgements: The Registrant has admitted and/or acknowledged the following: 

1. While he was director and pharmacy manager, pharmacy staff (including himself) altered PharmaNet entries for a patient creating an inaccurate patient record. Additionally, pharmacy staff (including himself) backdated the patient's prescriptions, meaning that the dispensing records for those prescriptions were created on dates later than the dates on which the drugs in question were actually dispensed, contrary to section 35(1) of the Bylaws to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act; and

2. The Registrant did not provide truthful or accurate information to the Investigator during the investigation into the matter, contrary to section 19 of the Bylaws to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act. 

Disposition:

The Registrant entered into a Consent Agreement with the Inquiry Committee of CPBC, wherein the Registrant consented to the following terms (in part):

1. To not be a pharmacy manager for a period of twenty-eight (28) days from April 17, 2020 to May 14, 2020;

2. To not be a preceptor or supervisor of pharmacy students and/or international pharmacy graduates for a period of one year from April 15, 2020 to April 14, 2021;
    

3. To pay a $1000.00 fine;

4. To successfully pass the CPBC's Jurisprudence Exam; and

5. To successfully complete and pass an ethics course designed specifically for health care professionals pass an ethics course for healthcare professionals;​

Rationale:

The Inquiry Committee considered that in this case, in addition to the serious misconduct, the Registrant placed his patient at significant risk of harm when he altered the patient’s PharmaNet record. His actions were a serious contravention of the standards in the Code of Ethics, and compromised the public’s trust in the pharmacy profession as a whole.

The Inquiry Committee considered the totality of the Registrant’s conduct to be serious, and that he required remediation and a deterrence in order to come into compliance. The Inquiry Committee considered the terms of the Consent Agreement necessary to protect the public, as well as send a clear message of deterrence to the profession.