IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Frederick P. McLeish, :

Petitioner :

:

v. : No. 273 C.D. 20 1 6
: Submitted: September 2 , 20 1 6
Bureau of Professional and : Occupational Affairs, State Board : of Pharmacy, :

Respondent :

BEFOR E: HONORABLE P. KEVIN BROBSON, Judge

HONORABLE JULIA K. HEARTHWAY, Judge

HONORABLE DAN PELLEGRINI, Senior Judge

OPINION NOT REPORTED

MEMORANDUM OPINION BY
SENIOR JUDGE PELLEGRINI FILED: September 27, 2016

Frederick P. McLeish (McLeish), pro se , petitions for review of the

final adjudication of the State Board of Pharmacy (Board) revoking his license to

practice pharmacy in Pennsylvania pursuant to Section 5(a)(10) of the Pharmacy

Act, 63 P.S. §390

- 5(a)(10). 1 For the reasons that follow, we affir m.

I.

In December 2014, upon receiving information that McLeish was

“terminated from employment by his hospital employer following his admission

1 Act of September 27, 1961, P.L. 1700, as amended , 63 P.S. §390

- 5(a)(10).2

that, over the course of approximately two months, he diverted IV Morphine,

Fentanyl and Hydroxizine tablets (all controlled drugs) for his own use and without

a valid prescription on multiple occasions, at times diluting prescriptions intended

for patient use,” the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy (New Jersey Board)

approved an Interim Consent Order of Volunta ry Surrender of License for

McLeish and ordered him to immediately cease and desist from engaging in the

practice of pharmacy in the State of New Jersey, pending rehabilitation and

monitoring requirements. (Certified Record (C.R.) at No. 1, Exhibit A, pag e 1.)

As a result, the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs

(Bureau) filed an order to show cause as to why the Board should not suspend,

r evoke or otherwise restrict his license to practice pharmacy in the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania, which had been inactive since 2002

. The Bureau alleged that

pursuant to Section 5(a)(10) of the Pharmacy Act, 63 P.S. §390

- 5(a)(10), the Board

has the authority to suspend, revoke or otherwise restrict McLeish’s license or

impose civil penalties because he rece ived disciplinary action by a proper licensing

authority of another state.

In response, McLeish submitted a letter stating

, in pertinent part:

I requested an inactive status be placed on my licensure in Pennsylvania over a decade ago, which was granted as I chose not to practice in Pennsylvania at that time. I respectfully request that my license remain on inactive status, as I have no plans at this time to reactivate my licensure or to practice pharmacy in the Commonwealth
of PA.

Of significant note i s the fact that I enrolled in, and am a member in good standing, with the Professional3 Assistance Program of New Jersey with all the monitoring and reporting requirements commensurate with that organization.

( C.R. at No. 3.)

A hearing before a hearing examiner was held as scheduled but

McLeish did not attend

. The Bureau entered into evidence its order to show cause

and McLeish’s answer to the order.

Finding a lack of mitigating evidence to support the imposition of a

lesser sanction, the h earing e xam iner proposed that McLeish’s license to practice

pharmacy in Pennsylvania be indefinitely suspended until his license in New

Jersey has been restored to non

- probationary, unrestricted status. The h earing

e xaminer reasoned that the New Jersey Board suspend ed McLeish’s license based

on serious concerns over his ability to practice safely due to his drug impairment

and Pennsylvania’s citizens should be given as much protection as New Jersey’ s.

The hearing examiner also noted the Board’s prior dealings with

respect to McLeish’s license, including the following : (1) in April 2003, the Board

indefinitely suspended McLeish’s license and assessed a civil penalty of $1,500

based on findings that McLeish failed to comply with continuing education courses

and procu red a license through fraud, misrepresentation or deceit by using

duplicate forms and non

- approved courses to indicate that he had fulfilled the

continuing education requirements; (2) in November 2006, after McLeish

completed the terms of his suspension, t he Board reinstated his license to reflect its

expired status; (3) in December 2006, the Board suspended McLeish’s license for a4

period of three years, and stayed the suspension in favor of three years of probation

in Pennsylvania’s monitoring program, due to disciplinary action taken by the New

Jersey Board in September 2002 based on allegations that McLeish diverted

Schedule II controlled substances for his own use from his employer, and

McLeish’s unfitness to practice safely due to intemperance in the us e of alcoholic

beverages, controlled substances or any other substances that impair the

performance of professional duties; and finally, (4) in February 2008, the Board

reinstated McLeish’s license after he successfully completed the terms and

conditions o f his December 2006 probation.

The Board issued a notice of intent to review the record established

before the hearing examiner and neither party filed a brief on exceptions to the

hearing examiner’s proposed adjudication. The Board then issued its fina l

adjudication and order, adopting the history, findings of fact, conclusions of law

and portions of the discussion of the hearing examiner’s proposed adjudication,

and modifying the hearing examiner’s proposed order by revoking McLeish’s

license. The Boa rd explained:

The Board believes that the sanction imposed needs to send the appropriate message to [McLeish] that reciprocal discipline involving the diversion of drugs by members of the profession will not be tolerated and that
the Board takes such matt ers very seriously in light of its role in protecting the safety of the public as well as the integrity of the profession.

The Board believes that the point of discipline is
multifaceted. There is a deterrent effect and a punishment component that must b e factored in when determining the appropriate sanction. Clearly, each sanction must be crafted from the specific facts of each
case to achieve its desired results. Here, the Board finds5 that in order to fulfill its duty as protectorate of the public
and to the integrity of the profession it needs to send a clear message about the severity of [McLeish’s]

violations

– both to the citizens of the Commonwealth and to [McLeish] himself. Therefore, it is necessary to impose a more stringent sanction than the one recommended by the hearing examiner in her proposed
report.

Great trust is placed in pharmacist s as healthcare providers. Pharmacists have the responsibility to ensure that prescription drugs are legally distributed. Drug
diversion has led to numero us overdose deaths within this Commonwealth and throughout the country. [McLeish’s] actions in failing to conform to the prevailing standards of practice in New Jersey were not only a violation of this Act but they exhibit a complete lack of professionali sm and responsibility to the public when dealing with powerful narcotics. [McLeish’s] actions are extremely troubling to the Board in light of the ongoing battle with drug diversion in this Commonwealth and throughout the country coupled with
the fact tha t [McLeish] had committed similar violations in the past and apparently did not value the second
chance that was afforded to him.

(C.R. at No. 9, pages 3

- 4.)

II.

On appeal, 2 McLeish argues that the Board’s revocation of his license

is excessive and not supported by su bstantial evidence because his Pennsylvania

2 Our review determines whether the Board abused its discretion, committed an error of law, or violated constitutional rights. DePanfilis v. State B oard of Pharmacy , 551 A.2d 344, 345
(Pa. Cmwlth. 1988). The Board ’ s decision must be supported by substantial evidence. Cassella v. State Board of Medicine, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs , 547 A.2d 506, 510
n.23 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1988). “Sub stantial evidence is that relevant evidence which a reasonable (Footnote continued on next page...)6

license has been inactive since 2002 and he has no intention of practicing in

Pennsylvania

. As a result

, McLeish contends that he is not in a position to harm

the citizens of Pennsylvania and

, th us
, an indefinite suspension of his Pennsylvania

license until his license in New Jersey has been restored to non

- probationary,

unrestricted status would be sufficient.

Section 5(a)(10) of the Pharmacy Act provides:

(a) The board shall have the power to refuse, revoke or suspend the license of any pharmacist upon proof satisfactory to it that the pharmacist:

***

(10) Has had a license to practice pharmacy suspended, revoked or refused, or received other disciplinary action by the proper pharmacist lic ensing authority of another state, territory or country.

63 P.S. §390

- 5(a)(10) (emphasis added)

.

The Board is not bound by the hearing examiner ’ s sanction. See

Telesford v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, State Board of

Medicine , 916 A.2d 1218 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2007). In deed

, our Supreme Court has

expressly held that where, as here, the facts are undisputed and the record reflects

that the practitioner was given a full and fair opportunity to present his evidence

(continued...)

mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Hercules, Inc. v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review , 6 04 A.2d 1159, 1163 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1992).7

and arguments to the heari ng examiner, procedural due process does not require

that he be given additional notice and another hearing before the Board imposes a

harsher sanction. Telang v. Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs , 751

A.2d 1147, 1151

– 52 ( Pa. 2000).

Given McLeish’s licensure history in Pennsylvania in conjunction

with his substance abuse issues, the disciplinary action taken against him by the

New Jersey Board , the lack of mitigating evidence and the s tate’s interest in

protecting its citizenry

, the Board’s revocation of McLeish’s license to practice

pharmacy in Pennsylvania, as is its prerogative under Section 5(a)(10) of the

Pharmacy Act, is not in error.

Accordingly, the order of the Board is affirmed.

____________________________________ DAN PELLEGRINI, Senior JudgeIN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Frederick P. McLeish, :

Petitioner :

:

v. : No. 273 C.D. 201 6

: Bureau of Professional and : Occupational Affairs, State Board : of Pharmacy, :

Respondent :

O R D E R

AND NOW, this 27 th day of September , 201 6

, the Final Adjudication

and Order of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, State Board of

Pharmacy dated December 18, 2015

, is hereby affirmed

.

____________________________________ DAN PELLEGRINI, Senior Judge