PHARMACIST LICENSE DEFENSE
Lauren A. Leikam, Pharmacist License Defense Attorney, helps Florida pharmacists like you protect your license, your reputation, and your job.
Lauren, a Florida attorney, focuses on pharmacy license defense and has a strong track record of assisting numerous healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, in safeguarding their licenses.
FIND OUT HOW LAUREN MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU
SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION
IS YOUR PHARMACIST LICENSE BEING THREATENED BY SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS? HAVE YOU BEEN SUBJECTED TO A DISCIPLINARY ACTION?
You May Need a Pharmacist License Defense Attorney
Your entire career can be put in jeopardy by just one disciplinary action, just one complaint, just one allegation.
Don’t risk everything by trying to go it alone. Seek a pharmacist license defense the instant you hear any allegation made against you.
Keep in mind that the licensing board’s primary responsibility is to safeguard the public — not protect your license. They won’t wait to start gathering evidence to prosecute you, so you shouldn’t wait to start defending yourself. Navigating the complex world of pharmacy law requires specialized knowledge and expertise.
GET A FLORIDA PHARMACIST ATTORNEY NOW
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH LAUREN A. LEIKAM
Remember: Even having a casual conversation with an investigator could be used against you. The earlier you contact Pharmacist License Defense Attorney, Lauren A. Leikam, PLLC, the better prepared you will be for a potential formal hearing and other stages of the defense process.
Lauren has over a decade of experience handling pharmacist license complaints. She’s a former prosecutor for the Florida Department of Health’s Prosecution Services Unit, specializing in pharmacy cases. Now, she focuses on providing expert defense for independent pharmacists like you.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE FILES A COMPLAINT AGAINST A LICENSED PHARMACIST:
The initial action is the receipt of a FL DOH Letter of Investigation, which outlines the critical deadlines for your pharmacist license defense. To respond effectively and navigate the process, it is advisable to consult with a trusted Florida pharmacist attorney like Lauren A. Leikam, PLLC. She can provide the expertise necessary to guide you through the investigation by the FL DOH and the Pharmacy Board.
Together with Lauren, she will strategically navigate you through various stages, including the Investigative File, a second formal rebuttal if needed, and a pivotal Probable Cause Panel phase. In some cases, an Administrative Complaint may be filed, which becomes a matter of public record.
For a full explanation of the entire process, including what happens after the Administrative Complaint and why it’s crucial to have legal counsel, visit the FL DOH’s investigative and administrative complaint processes page.
TYPES OF PHARMACIST LICENSE DEFENSE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
INSPECTION VIOLATIONS
Penalty: Fines, continuing education, and probation or suspension.
If you’re either a pharmacist or a Prescription Department Manager (PDM), you can be held accountable for violations of your pharmacy. Specifically, PDMs are responsible for ensuring that whoever holds the pharmacy permit (the permittee) is in compliance with all statutes and rules — including record maintenance and security of the prescription department.
If violations are found on inspection and they are considered minor, the DOH may give the pharmacy permittee a chance to cure the violations upon re-inspection. But if the violations are severe, or minor infractions aren’t resolved on re-inspection, the DOH will discipline both the pharmacy and the PDM.
FAILURE TO SUPERVISE
Penalty: Fines, continuing education, Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE), or suspension followed by probation.
This violation includes permitting an unlicensed person or unsupervised registered intern to fill, compound, or dispense prescriptions.
IMPAIRMENT
Penalty: A range that includes suspension until you demonstrate the ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety.
Impairment means being unable to practice pharmacy with reasonable skill and safety. Reasons for impairment include but aren’t limited to the use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other material. Allegations can also be made because of a mental or physical condition.
If you are suspended due to impairment, you’ll have to undergo an evaluation with the Professionals Resource Network (PRN) and comply with all recommendations in order to demonstrate to the Board of Pharmacy that you’re able to practice with reasonable skill and safety.
DRUG DIVERSION
Penalty: A referral to the PRN and suspension until you demonstrate the ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety. Other penalties include license revocation and criminal charges for theft.
Compounding, dispensing, or distributing a legend drug — including any controlled substance — other than in the course of the professional practice of pharmacy is a violation. This can occur when a pharmacist takes a drug from their employer for their own personal use without a prescription.
DISPENSING IN EXCESSIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE QUANTITIES
Penalty: Ranges from fines, a reprimand, continuing education, and an improvement action plan up to suspension or revocation.
This includes compounding, dispensing, or distributing a legend drug — including any controlled substance — other than in the course of the professional practice of pharmacy. It’s presumed that such acts are inappropriate or excessive and, thus, are not in the best interest of the patient — regardless of intent.
COMMITTING AN ERROR OR OMISSION DURING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROCESSING
Penalty: Fines, continuing education, an improvement action plan, and probation or suspension. Second offenses may result in revocation.
This violation covers virtually any mistake during the prescription process. It can include errors or omissions in receiving, interpreting, or clarifying a prescription; entering prescription data into a pharmacy’s record; verifying or validating a prescription; performing pharmaceutical calculations; conducting a prospective drug review; obtaining refill and substitution authorizations; interpreting or acting on clinical data; performing therapeutic interventions; providing drug information; and counseling a patient.
ERRORS IN FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS
Penalty: A range from fines and continuing education to probation, suspension, or revocation for second offenses.
“Errors in filling prescriptions” covers compounding a prescription or furnishing one with any ingredient or article that’s different from the ingredient or article prescribed. It doesn’t apply to authorized changes, such as substituting a generic brand medication for a name brand.
OUT-OF-STATE DISCIPLINE
Penalty: Usually the same as the state that imposed the original disciplinary action.
If you work in multiple areas and commit an infraction in one jurisdiction that’s also a violation in Florida, the Florida Board of Pharmacy will usually impose the same discipline that’s levied by the jurisdiction where the violation took place.
CRIMES RELATED TO THE PRACTICE OF PHARMACY
Penalty: A range from fines to revocation, depending on the severity of the crime.
The list of crimes related to the practice of pharmacy isn’t restricted to things you do when you’re working. It can include anything in your personal life that the Board of Pharmacy sees as related to your job — like driving under the influence, possessing a controlled substance, committing an act of fraud and substance abuse issues.
FAILING TO REPORT A CONVICTION WITHIN 30 DAYS
Penalty: A range from fines to revocation for second offenses.
If you’re a licensed pharmacist and have convicted of a crime, found guilty of an offense, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a crime in any jurisdiction — regardless of adjudication — you must, within 30 days, report the event in writing to the Florida Board of Pharmacy.
Of course, these are only the most common violations that call for pharmacist license defense. It’s not a complete list, and it doesn’t fully explain the FL DOH’s investigative and administrative complaint processes.
That’s why it’s so important to get a pharmacist license defense attorney on your side before you take step one — before you talk with an investigator, before you respond to a letter, before you even make a phone call to ask a question.
Remember: There is no complaint that’s “just a complaint.” You’re facing a threat against your reputation and livelihood. And your future depends on what you do right now.
So don’t go it alone. Get a Florida pharmacist attorney who knows how to help you protect your job and your professional standing.
SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION WITH LAUREN A. LEIKAM, PLLC, TODAY
ABOUT LAUREN A. LEIKAM, PLLC: FLORIDA PHARMACIST ATTORNEY
When your reputation is called into question, when your livelihood is at risk, when your pharmacist or pharmacy license is threatened — it’s imperative that you have a dedicated legal advocate by your side. I have more than a decade of experience that includes working in the pharmacy section of the FL DOH’s Prosecution Services Unit.
Pharmacist license defense is one of the biggest focuses of my practice, which is why I can offer comprehensive support to protect your pharmacist license, uphold your reputation, and help you restore your professional standing — just as I have done numerous times for Florida pharmacists all over the state.
I can help you understand your rights and options. And I’ll be ready to provide you with the best representation before you even take step one with the Board of Pharmacy and the FL DOH.
Let’s talk. Schedule a complimentary consultation today.