Case Title: Miller v. State Board of Pharmacy

Citation: 262 So. 2d 188

Docket Number: 

State: mississippi

Court: Mississippi Supreme Court

Date: 1972-05-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
262 So. 2d 188 (1972) John Fellx MILLER v. STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY. No. 46574. Supreme Court of Mississippi. May 8, 1972. H.A. Courtney, Jackson, for appellant. A.F. Summer, Atty. Gen., by R. Hugo Newcomb, Sr., Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee. *189 SMITH, Justice: This case involves the appeal of John Felix Miller, a pharmacist, from a decree of the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County which affirmed an order of the Mississippi State Board of Pharmacy, revoking his license. The charge preferred against Miller by the Board was stated in this language: Prior to the hearing, Miller's counsel filed several motions, among which was a motion for a bill of particulars. This motion demanded that the charge be made more definite and certain, asked for a specification of the circumstances, occasions and dates involved in the charge, and to be informed as to what manner his records were considered to have been kept "inadequately." It was stated in this sworn motion that it was impossible for Miller to prepare an answer or otherwise respond to the charge in the form in which it was made or to make necessary inquiries without being specifically advised as to "the exact, or at least the approximate circumstances, occasions, times, places, persons, amounts, etc.," involved, and that Miller would be embarrassed and prejudiced in making his defense unless supplied with this information. All of Miller's motions, including the motion for a bill of particulars, were overruled or denied by the Board and an evidentiary hearing on the charge, as made, followed. At this hearing, the testimony of a Federal Special Agent for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs was offered in support of the charge. His testimony, over repeated objections, all of which were overruled, covered a wide range. As well as can be determined from the record the gravamen of this evidence (insofar as it related in any way to the charge), was that Miller had refilled prescriptions for "controlled substances" and had not made written record of the authorization of the prescribing physician for the refills. The witness also testified, over objection, as to certain discrepancies between inventories of controlled substances in several categories and the amounts of such substances found on hand. In response to this testimony (none of the items of which had been suggested by the charge), Miller testified that in every case he had obtained permission of the prescribing physician, often by telephone, before refilling a prescription, although a record of the telephone authorization had not always been made. The revocation of a professional license is a matter of the most serious consequences. Proceedings directed toward that end have not been regarded in Mississippi as criminal in character. Nevertheless, the professional man accused of derelictions of such gravity as to justify revocation of his license to practice his profession, is entitled, as a matter of right, to be informed of the nature of the charge against him, if not with the exact specificity required in a criminal indictment, the charge must be made with not less exactitude and fullness than would be necessary in a bill of complaint or declaration in a civil case. Moreover, he is entitled to demand and obtain a bill of particulars or require that the charge be made more definite and certain under circumstances prescribed in the statutes, practice and procedure of this State. At page 172, 41 Am.Jur., Physicians and Surgeons, section 44 (1942), it is stated: The exact question presented on this appeal does not appear to have been dealt with by this Court on any former occasion. Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated section 8862.5, subsection 2 (Supp. 1971), among other things requires that a pharmacist proceeded against is entitled to "at least twenty (20) days' notice in writing specifying offense or offenses of which the licensee is charged." (Emphasis added). In this case, no statute, or rule or regulation of the Board duly adopted under its rule making powers, has been cited to us as having established any standards for the keeping of records by pharmacists. In order to be certain that none existed, we have conducted our own research and also have addressed inquiries to the parties to these proceedings as to whether any such statute or rule or regulation existed. None has been pointed out to us. Apparently, therefore, there are no standards by which it is possible to determine whether records are kept "adequately" or not. Nor is this changed by the general requirement in the statute for the keeping of records. Even if enforceable standards for record keeping had been lawfully established, Miller would have been entitled to know from the charge itself not only exactly what records he had failed to keep "adequately," but also in what respects they were "inadequate." A reading of the transcript makes if abundantly clear that it was impossible for Miller to prepare a defense to the vague and general charge made against him that he had kept "inadequate" records. It will be observed that Miller was not charged with failure to keep any particular record, nor even with failure to keep records generally. The only charge was that his records had been, in some unspecified respect, kept "inadequately." What is "adequate" in the judgment of one man may be inadequate in the judgment of another. Intelligible and definite standards must be adopted and promulgated in order that pharmacists may be advised as to what is required of them with respect to record keeping. The Supreme Court of New Mexico dealt with a somewhat similar question in Young v. Board of Pharmacy, 81 N.M. 5, 462 P.2d 139 (1969). In that case the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy proceeded against Young, a pharmacist, for revocation of his license to practice pharmacy on a charge that: After a hearing at which Young was present and represented by counsel, the Board made findings of fact, including this finding: Based upon this and other findings, an order was entered revoking Young's license to practice pharmacy. From that order Young appealed to the appropriate District Court. The District Court, after reviewing the proceedings, set aside the order of the Board upon the ground (among others) that the Board's actions had been unreasonable, arbitrary and unlawful. From the judgment of the District Court the Board of Pharmacy appealed to the New Mexico Supreme Court. That Court, in dealing with the Pharmacy Board's finding of fact Number 6, supra, said: In Mississippi Milk Commission v. Fant et al., Miss., 260 So. 2d 450, decided by this Court on April 3, 1972, the Court dealt with an order of the Mississippi Milk Commission revoking certain business licenses or, in the alternative, imposing on the license holders certain money penalties. The charge upon which the Board acted was that the licensees had granted "unreasonable extension of credit" as proscribed by Section 4560-156, Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (Supp. 1971). From the Commission's order, the licensees appealed to the chancery court. After review, that court entered a decree vacating the order of the Commission and dismissing the suit. On appeal by the Commission to this Court, the decision of the chancery court was affirmed, this Court saying: In reaching the conclusion that this case must be reversed and the order revoking Miller's license vacated, the necessity for maintaining control of narcotics and harmful *192 drugs is in no way intended to be minimized. Nor do we discount the laudable efforts of the Board of Pharmacy directed toward that end. Certainly there are offenses and derelictions in the practice of pharmacy, particularly in dealing with controlled substances, capable of being explicitly charged and clearly proven, which would justify revocation of a pharmacist's license. But in this case the decree appealed from must be reversed and the order of the Board of Pharmacy revoking appellant's license vacated and set aside. Reversed and the order of the Mississippi State Board of Pharmacy vacated and set aside. RODGERS, P.J., and PATTERSON, INZER and ROBERTSON, JJ., concur.