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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Ottawa hits ex-rural pharmacist with $3.1-M suit over suspect claims

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 02/7/2012 1:00 AM

A former pharmacist in Hodgson, Man., has been hit with a $3.1-million lawsuit.

The lawsuit between Abas Pharmacy and Canada's attorney general says Abas "fraudulently and negligently misrepresented information and claims submitted between Jan. 1, 2005 and March 31, 2008."

Abas was known as Fisher Pharmacy and had Murvin Ernest Abas as its managing pharmacist, so both are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit references how the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch has the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHBP), which "provides health benefits free of charge... to status Indians and recognized Inuit persons who do not otherwise have insurance coverage either privately or through a provincial plan."

"In and around 2008, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch became aware of statistical anomalies in relation to claims made to the NIHBP by Fisher Pharmacy, including anomalies in the number of claims made for certain drugs or products in relation to the size of the population served by Fisher Pharmacy," said the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also says Health Canada did an on-site audit of the pharmacy in 2009. It says people who were part of NIHBP told the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch the pharmacy had made claims for things they hadn't received. It also says the pharmacy charged for products it didn't give out, gave drugs without a doctor's authorization, and put in "claims that were inappropriately high for many medications and products."

Abas reportedly left the pharmacy in 2009, and Grand Medicine Pharmacy took over ownership.

The lawsuit seeks $3,114,093 in damages, plus interest and costs.

No statement of defence has been filed and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 7, 2012 A4

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