2023-10-28 19:30:00
A pharmacist who was caught consulting the confidential medical files of certain colleagues of her partner, including one on 62 occasions, has just been disbarred for two months.
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In January 2022, a colleague of Marie-Claude Gagnon’s husband discovered that the latter had consulted her medical file from the pharmacy where she works.
This health worker, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, had never received services at M’s pharmacyme Gagnon. She therefore alerted the trustee of the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec.
The next day, the trustee received a second request for investigation: another colleague of M’s husbandme Gagnon discovered that the latter had consulted her Quebec Health Record (DSQ). In this case, the pharmacist had looked at it five times between 2019 and 2021.
The DSQ contains, among other things, health information on the medications received by a patient, their laboratory analysis results and medical imaging. Health professionals, such as doctors, dentists and physiotherapists, have access to it, but must only consult that of their patients.
She confesses everything
The pharmacist was quickly met by the trustee of her professional order. She immediately admitted having accessed the medical files of these people “because of the personal difficulties experienced at that time”, we can read in the recently rendered decision.
“She indicates that she tried to obtain their personal address, but adds that she never went to these people’s homes or even passed in front of their homes,” we specify.
Mme Gagnon also admitted to having consulted the file of a third colleague. After verifications, the trustee discovered that the pharmacist had looked at it no less than 62 times between 2014 and 2019.
“These are serious offenses given the confidentiality of the information contained in the DSQ and considering that the legislator only allows access to a restricted group of professionals, including pharmacists,” underlined the council of discipline of the Order of Pharmacists of Quebec.
The public must expect that “each pharmacist acts as one of the guardians of the right to professional secrecy”, it is specified.
In February, another pharmacist, Réjean Lemay, was disbarred for a month for having consulted the file of a member of his entourage at the request of a relative. In 2022, Salamicha Poirier was sentenced to two months of disbarment for having accessed the file of her ex-spouse.
Erratum: a first version of the text confused the recently disbarred pharmacist Marie-Claude Gagnon with a pharmacist of the same name. The situation was rectified as soon as it was brought to our attention. Our apologies.
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