Florida DOH issues Emergency Restriction Order vs HVVP Rx (d/b/a Prime Rx Pharmacy for compounding medications without a Prescription Department Manager (Supervising Pharmacist)

Community Pharmacy Permit ERO - 

http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/DocServiceMngr/displayDocument.aspx

Special Parenteral / Enteral Pharmacy Permit ERO (practically a duplicate of the above document) -  

http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/DocServiceMngr/displayDocument.aspx

The owner of the pharmacy however, Mr. Vikas Ghiya, a licensed pharmacist himself, does NOT have an active Administrative Complaint against him, even though, as described in the Emergency Restriction Orders above, he owned a Pharmacy that did NOT have an active Prescription Department Manager, and that he was compounding sterile/injectable drugs, including chemotherapy drugs (which are given to immunocompromised patients), even though he was not properly qualified to do so (he didn't do media-filled tests to ensure sterility).  

The questions that come to mind:

1. Will Florida's DOH Bureau of Enforcement file a complaint against Mr. Ghiya, a pharmacist:

- who was working in a pharmacy that did not have an active Prescription Department Manager; 

- who lied to investigators by saying the prescription department manager (J.J.) was "out of town" as opposed to saying the truth that "J.J. no longer worked for the pharmacy and would not be returning", thereby making false and misleading statements in his role as a licensed pharmacist AND interfered with an investigative or disciplinary hearing;

- who was compounding sterile/injectable drugs outside of his training and licensure; and

- who possibly violated laws/rules of the Department or the Board of Pharmacy. 

2. Florida allows persons who do not have a valid pharmacy license (unlicensed persons, those that are only registered pharmacy technicians, etc) to own and operate pharmacies. Considering that a lot of these abuses happen in pharmacies owned by "businessmen" rather than licensees (see Rejuvi Pharmacy ESO - http://hnfarchives.org/hnf_stories/read/florida_suspends_compounding_pharmacy_in_boca and http://hnfarchives.org/hnf_stories/read/state_finds_pharmacy_deplorable_suspends_license, which is owned by Ryan Hogan, a Registered Pharmacy Tech), perhaps there should be Statutes written (or changed) to protect the public? 

VIKASGHIYA
LICENSE NUMBER: PS27470	Printer Friendly Version

Profession PHARMACIST License/Activity Status CLEAR/ACTIVE License Expiration Date License Original Issue Date 9/30/2013 05/12/1992 Discipline on File Public Complaint YES  Link To Discipline NO Address of Record 10720 PARK BLVD SUITE E SEMINOLE,FL33772 UNITED STATES As always, thank you Dr. Ken Woliner, for submission of this information for inclusion on the blog.