B.C. pharmacy investigated for allegedly helping people fake vaccine records
A pharmacy in B.C.'s Lower Mainland is being investigated for allegedly helping unvaccinated individuals sneak their names into the province's COVID-19 vaccine registry.
That would allow people to download the B.C. Vaccine Card – which is still required for a number of discretionary activities, including dining in restaurants – without being immunized.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said the matter remains under investigation, but that the Burnaby business is no longer participating in the government's immunization program.
The province has also suspended the pharmacy's ability to bill through PharmaCare, a rarely used measure that's available under the Pharmaceutical Services Act.
If any pharmacists are found to have entered people's information into B.C.'s vaccine system without actually providing them with vaccine, there will be "very serious consequences," Dix said.
"This is serious business," the minister said at a news conference Friday. "People have the right to their views, but you have to behave in an appropriate manner."
Those consequences could include prosecution, according to the Ministry of Health.
Dix said the investigation involves a specific pharmacy location, and not the chain to which it belongs. On Friday, a notice at the Medicine Shoppe at 4277 Kingsway indicated it was not dispensing prescriptions.
Asked how these kinds of allegations are investigated, Dix said the government can check if a pharmacy has been routinely providing vaccinations to people who live more than 100 kilometres away from its location.
"Say you drive by 50 pharmacies to go to a particular pharmacy, and then a lot of people do that, that would be an unusual result. That's the kind of thing you could determine through our systems very easily," the minister said.
It's unclear whether there could also be consequences for unvaccinated individuals who took part in the alleged scheme, but officials did not rule out that possibility. The Ministry of Health told CTV News any fraudulent vaccine records will be removed from the registry, and ill-gotten B.C. Vaccine Cards will be revoked.
The B.C. Pharmacy Association told CTV News that it supports the government's investigation, calling the integrity of the province's vaccine program "extremely important."
"The COVID-19 vaccine helps keep our communities safe. British Columbians should know that when an individual is identifying themselves as fully vaccinated, that they are indeed fully vaccinated," a spokesperson said in an email.
The College of Pharmacists told CTV News it could not comment on the allegations, or even confirm whether it is conducting an investigation of its own.
Apart from dining at restaurants, proof of vaccination is also required for attending indoor weddings, ticketed sporting events and other events. Officials are expected to end the B.C. Vaccine Card program early next month.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Travis Prasad and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.
Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.