Criminal: Involves violating a statute. In the case of a pharmacist, you can be held criminally liable if you break a statute. For this case it would be dispensing a prescription controlled drug without a prescription. The statute forbids the pharmacist form doing this and if you do the government can initiate a criminal action. Sanctions can include a fine or prison time. The purpose of the criminal liability is to deter undesirable activity while also punishing and reforming that individual. Civil: Involves one party suing the other party for injury or other grievance. In the case of the pharmacist, if the pharmacist knew about a patient's allergy but forgot and still dispensed a medication that was harmful to the patient then the pharmacist could be held in civil liability. Civil actions may be based on common law, statutory law or both. The purpose of civil liability is to compensate the individual affected by the other party. Administrative: Involves breaking a statute or regulation, or has committed an act that warrants an investigation by an agency. These administrative actions are known as hearings where the outcome, depending on severity of the infraction, could lead to warnings, fines, license revocation, license suspension, or probation.