Former Sen. Leo Blais' Pharmacist License Suspended

Effective Friday, the RI Department of Health has ordered the immediate suspension of the pharmacist license of former state Senator Leo Blais (R-Coventry).

The suspension comes after the Department was notified regarding a possible dispensing error at Apothecare Compounding Solutions in East Greenwich where Blais was the pharmacist on duty at the time of the incident. 

The initial error resulted in an 11-month-old infant ingesting a mislabeled medication, thought to be Omeprazole, that actually contained morphine.

Further investigation by the Department of Health found that Blais had been the "verifying pharmacist" for not only this incident, but also prescription of Omeprazole from that same batch that had been dispensed to a 2-year-old.

A site inspection at Apothecare revealed over 100 items in stock containing no expiration dates or expired dates.

The order signed Michael Fine, RI Director of Health said "continuation of Blais' pharmacist license constitutes an imminent threat to the health, welfare and safety of the public.''

Blais' licenses as a pharmacist, a pharmacy registrant and a pharmaceutical wholesaler were suspended by the Rhode Island Board of Pharmacy in 1999 after violations were found against him that included drug dispensing errors, dispensing without valid prescriptions and poor record keeping. He was eventually placed on a one year probation and allowed to keep his licenses.

He had disciplinary action taken against him again in October 2007 after a routine inspection of pharmacy at the time, Pawtuxet Valley Prescription Center uncovered poor record keeping, a failure to segregate "outdated, unusable and mislabeled" medications as well as misbranded drugs.