Downtown Pharmacy at 348 Powell St. in Vancouver has been ordered to shut down by The College of Pharmacists of BC following an inspection that unveiled sanitation, structural, and patient health problems.
According to the College, the concerns found on site pose serious public and patient health risk as a result of which, the pharmacy’s license has been immediately suspended pending further investigation.
During inspections by the College, the following concerns were found:
• Mould inside a cupboard containing equipment used to provide patient care and in other locations
• Old and moldy food products, such as an open package of cake mix found in the dispensary
• Fecal matter and rat traps found within dispensary and storage area
• Graffiti on the exterior of the pharmacy
• Dirty and dilapidated interior and exterior walls, fixtures, flooring, ceiling tiles, and furniture
• Stains, cobwebs, dust, and peeling paint in numerous locations
The College will also work with external experts and, where appropriate, relevant local or provincial authorities, to complete air quality and environmental testing and to ensure that the building is structurally sound.
This is the second pharmacy to be suspended by the College as a result of the evidence collected from an unannounced inspection. These inspections are being conducted as part of the College’s action plan on methadone maintenance treatment. This action plan steps up enforcement of standards that protect the public.
