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chemgear · 04-28-2025, 03:01 PM

At least they're finally starting to maybe do something about the safe supply diversion. Pretty wild these guys are trying to go to Supreme Court "as they claim the college's pharmacy inspections were done without proper statutory authority."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...line-1.7519217

3 Vancouver pharmacists ordered not to provide 'safe supply' pending investigation outcome

B.C.'s College of Pharmacists took the extraordinary step of announcing interim measures against Charanjit Pal, Jennifer Van Bui and Mamteshwari Ravnita Latchman this week. In a related case, the regulator also announced the suspension of a fourth pharmacist — Karandeep Singh Chohan.

The complaints allegedly prompted on-site inspections at both pharmacies.

According to the college, the allegations relate to "narcotic inventory control and management, prescription checking requirements, PharmaNet record keeping, patient consultations, supervision of non-pharmacist staff, and compliance with ethical standards."

None of the allegations against any of the pharmacists named by the college have been proven, and the two staff pharmacists — Bui and Latchman — filed petitions in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday seeking to overturn the interim measures against them.

The CBC has also reported extensively on concerns about pharmacies in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside paying customers a share of the money they claim from B.C.'s PharmaCare program.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ohip-1.7517426

A doctor running a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, including an Ottawa location that offers safer opioid supply, is billing public insurance about $2.5 million per year.

Neighbours in both Hintonburg and Chinatown have criticized Koka for prescribing opioid medications to fentanyl users. They say his patients are trading the prescription drugs on the street to get harder substances, attracting dealers and crime to the area.

City councillors representing both neighbourhoods have urged Northwood Recovery to change its operations or shut down.

CBC submitted a freedom of information request to the Ontario Ministry of Health seeking records of Koka's total billing to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). It reveals that he billed just over $2.3 million in 2023 and nearly $2.5 million in 2024.

But the totals are far in excess of typical billing. The average gross clinical payment for Ontario physicians was $388,557 in 2022-23, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Payments for the top quintile — the top 20 per cent of physicians by billing — were $568,432 on average.

CBC also submitted a request for Koka's billing for telemedicine specifically. He billed $524,302 for virtual care services in 2024, including video and telephone consultations.

The college cautioned him in 2019, after a patient complained that Koka didn't meet with him at all. Instead, a physician assistant at his office prescribed methadone after a virtual appointment.

The college found no sign that the physician assistant had proper training — and noted that delegating care is only appropriate in the context of an existing doctor-patient relationship, which did not exist in that case.

04-28-2025, 03:01 PM	#2181
chemgear Franchise Player Join Date: Feb 2010 Exp:	At least they're finally starting to maybe do something about the safe supply diversion. Pretty wild these guys are trying to go to Supreme Court "as they claim the college's pharmacy inspections were done without proper statutory authority." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...line-1.7519217 3 Vancouver pharmacists ordered not to provide 'safe supply' pending investigation outcome B.C.'s College of Pharmacists took the extraordinary step of announcing interim measures against Charanjit Pal, Jennifer Van Bui and Mamteshwari Ravnita Latchman this week. In a related case, the regulator also announced the suspension of a fourth pharmacist — Karandeep Singh Chohan. The complaints allegedly prompted on-site inspections at both pharmacies. According to the college, the allegations relate to "narcotic inventory control and management, prescription checking requirements, PharmaNet record keeping, patient consultations, supervision of non-pharmacist staff, and compliance with ethical standards." None of the allegations against any of the pharmacists named by the college have been proven, and the two staff pharmacists — Bui and Latchman — filed petitions in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday seeking to overturn the interim measures against them. The CBC has also reported extensively on concerns about pharmacies in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside paying customers a share of the money they claim from B.C.'s PharmaCare program. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...ohip-1.7517426 A doctor running a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, including an Ottawa location that offers safer opioid supply, is billing public insurance about $2.5 million per year. Neighbours in both Hintonburg and Chinatown have criticized Koka for prescribing opioid medications to fentanyl users. They say his patients are trading the prescription drugs on the street to get harder substances, attracting dealers and crime to the area. City councillors representing both neighbourhoods have urged Northwood Recovery to change its operations or shut down. CBC submitted a freedom of information request to the Ontario Ministry of Health seeking records of Koka's total billing to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). It reveals that he billed just over $2.3 million in 2023 and nearly $2.5 million in 2024. But the totals are far in excess of typical billing. The average gross clinical payment for Ontario physicians was $388,557 in 2022-23, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Payments for the top quintile — the top 20 per cent of physicians by billing — were $568,432 on average. CBC also submitted a request for Koka's billing for telemedicine specifically. He billed $524,302 for virtual care services in 2024, including video and telephone consultations. The college cautioned him in 2019, after a patient complained that Koka didn't meet with him at all. Instead, a physician assistant at his office prescribed methadone after a virtual appointment. The college found no sign that the physician assistant had proper training — and noted that delegating care is only appropriate in the context of an existing doctor-patient relationship, which did not exist in that case.