Medicine Hat, Alta. pharmacist found guilty of stealing Cialis, Tadalafil

Ahmed Atique, the owner and operator of a defunct Calgary pharmacy, has been suspended and fined more than $75,000 by the Alberta College of Pharmacy. (File)

Calgary — A hearing tribunal has ordered a four-month suspension and a $3,000 fine for a Medicine Hat pharmacist found guilty of manipulating inventory records to secure erectile dysfunction drugs for his personal use.

Robert Stadnyk was found guilty of unprofessional conduct by the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP), after the tribunal determined that his actions undermined the integrity of the profession.

On eight different occasions, from Feb. 2016 to Feb. 2019, Stadnyk diverted the Schedule 1 drugs Calis and Tadalafil from the pharmacy for his own personal use.

"Mr. Stadnyk's conduct demonstrated that he allowed his professional judgment to be impaired and compromised by his self-interest due to his personal situation," The ACP wrote in their decision on Oct. 5.

In addition to the suspension and fine, Stadnyk cannot own a pharmacy for a three-year period and must inform any potential employer of the ACP's disciplinary measures against him.

Stadnyk previously faced a two-month suspension and a $5,000 fine in 2016 when he was pharmacy manager at Medicine Hat Co-op. The ACP found him guilty of negotiating drug prices and vendor rebates, depending on the volume of drugs supplied to his pharmacy. He accepted incentives in the form of gift cards, prepaid credit cards, and travel vouchers worth more than $730,000.

Two other pharmacy members were involved in the scheme and all three faced criminal charges for fraud over $5,000.