When a pharmacist receives a notice of formal complaint from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy, there is a natural tendency to feel a sense of panic. After all, most pharmacists are well aware that a complaint against their license can result in discipline—up to and including revocation of licensure.
Anyone can file a complaint against a licensed pharmacist in Texas—from customers to fellow pharmacists—so long as they do so in writing. When the Board receives that complaint, it first reviews it to ensure the allegations made in it are pertinent to its jurisdiction rather than crackpot or irrelevant. If they pass this sniff test, a formal investigation is launched—at which point the pharmacist is made aware of the complaint and provided the opportunity to respond with a defense. Not only should they respond to this letter, but they should do so timely, and they would do best to get some help in doing so from someone experienced with the complaint process.
The reasons for this are several. The complaint process is deceptively nuanced. Because the Board is acting on behalf of the public—rather than the pharmacist—its investigators are not necessarily limited to investigating the allegations made in the complaint. Any indication—however minor or seemingly inconsequential—that can be found in the response letter that the pharmacist might potentially be out of order in any other way can lead to a ballooning of the scope of the proceedings, with the real possibility of the pharmacist facing discipline for something that they could not have foreseen would cause trouble.
Get A Professional License Defense Attorney
That’s why it’s very important to bring in a skilled professional license defense attorney as soon as possible after receiving that first letter. We know how to contain the scope of the proceedings with a well-crafted response letter and how to launch an effective defense.
If you find your license to practice pharmacy at risk as to the result of a complaint claiming you have acted in violation of the law or of regulations, give us a call. The attorneys at BERTOLINO LLP are experienced professional license defense attorneys. We are prepared to represent you in any investigation, legal hearing, or proceeding regarding your license.
BERTOLINO LLP represents licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas. To best serve our clients, we have offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Our honest, experienced attorneys will fight aggressively on behalf of your license and reputation.
Contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
