The name “Vegas” speaks for itself. As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and containing the vast majority of Nevada's population, pharmacists never know who they might serve day-to-day. One moment you might be helping a foreign tourist who knows no English (but certainly knows he had too good of a time last night) find the best hangover medicine. In another time, you may be filing prescriptions for a family from Henderson. Or perhaps you work in one of the dozens of hospitals and care facilities located throughout Clark County. No matter where you work, it has taken years of studying and hard work to get where you are.
While Las Vegas may have a reputation for laid-back recreation, the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy certainly does not. The Board is vested with the authority to probe, sanction, or revoke licenses from pharmacists accused of misconduct. A single allegation, whether it be a dispensing error or a slight documentation oversight, puts your livelihood at risk. An investigation, even without a finding of wrongdoing, can cast a shadow over years of education, training, and professional achievement.
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help you beat the allegations and protect your reputation. The Lento Law Firm Team has many years of experience defending Nevada pharmacists and their licenses. Whether you practice in bustling Las Vegas, Paradise, and suburban Henderson, or in towns like Boulder City or Mesquite, our nationwide services deliver resolute defense. Call us at 888-535-3686 or contact the team with our online form to begin the defense you deserve.
The Stakes of Pharmacy Practice in Las Vegas
Being a pharmacist in the Las Vegas area offers substantial rewards, both financial and professional. For example, major chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Smith's have locations all over the Las Vegas area. They provide stable employment for pharmacists. Hospitals such as the University Medical Center in Las Vegas and St. Rose Dominican in Henderson rely on pharmacists to deliver critical care. Independent pharmacies help provide personalized care and thrive on the trust of their patients. Ultimately, being a pharmacist is generally considered a stable job with many opportunities to practice.
Despite the industry having a reputation for stability, a disciplinary charge from the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy can cause everything to unravel. In the worst cases, the Board's actions can potentially bar you from practicing not only in Nevada but nationwide due to reciprocal licensure agreements.
The Board holds sweeping power to suspend, revoke, or restrict licenses for nearly anything that calls into question one's integrity and competence. The Board maintains a searchable public database that catalogs disciplinary actions. This ensures that employers, colleagues, and professional networks will be exposed to any sanctions you receive.
A formal reprimand, though seemingly minor, could follow you for years. A suspension or revocation halts your ability to work. This puts you under financial strain and makes it much harder to get a job if you are reinstated. Our Professional License Defense Team works to contest these charges, leveraging our experience and Nevada's procedural protections to pursue outcomes that preserve your license.
Why Las Vegas Valley Pharmacists Face Threats to Their License
Pharmacists in the Las Vegas area are required to comply with a nearly endless list of regulations. Just one misstep can provoke the Board of Pharmacy. The Board's mission prioritizes public safety over all else, even the well-being of pharmacists. As a result, just about every complaint will be thoroughly investigated. Common triggers for investigations include:
- Accusations of Misconduct. These most frequently involve pharmacists who are accused of using drugs illicitly. Common examples include allegations that a pharmacist has a substance abuse disorder or uses drugs while on duty. It also includes being convicted of any crime that involves moral turpitude, dishonesty, or corruption. The Board may find that these acts demonstrate a lack of good moral character and pursue discipline, even if no tangible harm is committed.
- Licensing Errors. These most often result from renewing licenses late or failing to complete continuing education requirements. Even though continuing education may seem like a formality, your license cannot be renewed, and you cannot practice until you have completed the Board's requirements.
- Board Investigations and Audits: The Board of Pharmacy has the power to access facilities at all times to determine compliance with its long list of regulations. If an audit reveals improper documentation or a failure to keep accurate logs, it may result in formal accusations.
These actions can result in discipline even if the pharmacist never intended any harm. Unfortunately, this means that good pharmacists regularly find themselves under investigation all too often.
The Lento Law Firm Team counters these accusations by thoroughly scrutinizing the Board's accusations and then negotiating resolutions that minimize disruption to your career.
Pharmacists Under Investigation Need an Experienced Professional License Defense Team
Ever since Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, hundreds of millions of people have come to Las Vegas to enjoy themselves and hope that luck is on their side. For pharmacists who find themselves under investigation by the Board of Pharmacy, hoping to get lucky is not going to cut it. In Nevada and across the country, pharmacists often make the mistake of thinking that the Board is on their side, or they get too comfortable and think the little formalities stop mattering. When pharmacists start relying on luck to get by, formal discipline usually isn't too far behind.
The Board and its investigators try their best to leave no stone unturned. If there is any reason at all to discipline you, they will try their hardest to find it. That's their job, and they're very good at what they do. Make no mistake, the Board is not your friend, and they are not concerned with your best interest.
Owing to Las Vegas's location near Arizona, Utah, and California, many pharmacists in the Las Vegas area have licenses in multiple states. All of these states are members of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). As a result, any discipline received in Nevada doesn't stop following you at the state line.
Going alone against the Board, their investigators, and their lawyers is a battle that few can win. The moment you retain the Lento Law Firm to fight on your behalf, you gain a team of lawyers that fights for you and your license. From day one, we have analyzed the allegations against you and looked for weaknesses in the evidence. We respond to the Board's requests for information, documents, or testimony by carefully drafting every response to help prevent oversharing or self-incrimination. Our team also negotiates directly with the Board to end investigations early, minimize penalties, and keep discipline off your license.
Navigating Disciplinary Procedures while Defending Your License
Pharmacists in the Las Vegas area face formidable challenges when the Board of Pharmacy launches disciplinary proceedings. Luckily, Nevada law provides several due process protections for pharmacists. These protections include:
- Notice of the Charges. Whoever seeks discipline must provide a written statement of the allegations. The statement must be written in ordinary language, specify the regulations violated, and detail the actions or omissions that caused the violation.
- Right to a Defense. The Board must provide you with a notice of defense. This notice must inform that you can challenge the evidence, submit evidence of your own, and request a hearing before the Board before any long-term sanctions are handed out.
- Notice of Hearing. If the Board decides to have a formal hearing, they must notify the pharmacist of when and where the hearing will be held. This notice must be given early enough that the pharmacist has time to properly prepare for the hearing.
- The Ability to Appeal: If discipline is imposed, the pharmacist can request a rehearing before the Board within 15 days of the original order. Additionally, disciplined pharmacists have the right to have their discipline reviewed by the Superior Court.
While Nevada law requires that the Board provide notice of some procedural rights, that notice is not exhaustive. Pharmacists, like most people, tend to be unfamiliar with administrative law and due process. As a result, they waive many of their rights by not taking the case seriously or trying to represent themselves. When you hire the Lento Law Firm, you give yourself the ability to exercise all of your rights to help protect your license.
The Lento Law Firm Team Mitigates Disciplinary Outcomes for Las Vegas Pharmacists
Our Professional License Defense Team negotiates directly with the Board and its investigative team to secure alternative forms of discipline. By using a cooperative approach, our team can often figure out how to address the Board's concerns through proactive compliance. For example, if the Board is upset that their investigators were refused entry to a pharmacy while doing a routine audit, showing that you have taken steps to allow investigators access to the pharmacy in the future might result in an informal reprimand or small fine.
Our team's cooperative approach fosters constructive dialogue, aiming to minimize public discipline. We focus on:
- Evidence of Proactive Rehabilitation. Our team can provide documentation of voluntary retraining or steps taken to avoid future misconduct. The Board usually invokes discipline when pharmacists refuse to take the accusations seriously. This approach makes discipline unnecessary to protect the public.
- Negotiation for Leniency. Collateral consequences can be worse than the discipline the Board dishes out. We consistently seek out discipline that keeps your reputation squeaky clean and your financial stability intact.
- Employer Considerations. Employers often have zero tolerance for pharmacist misconduct. By mitigating sanctions and keeping discipline off your license history, the Lento Law Firm can help you keep your current job and find employment in the future.
Pursuing Reinstatement for Pharmacists in Las Vegas
While a suspension or revocation can be devastating, they are not the end of the road. Nevada law allows for the reinstatement of licenses, even if they were revoked. Suspended pharmacists typically can apply for reinstatement as soon as they have met the conditions of their suspension. Common conditions include completing certain continued education classes or serving a minimum time without a license. Those whose licenses were revoked can apply for reinstatement after one year. In either case, reinstatement requires a hearing before the Board and a positive vote among the Board's members.
Our Professional License Defense Team can guide you through this process. Our team can assemble persuasive documentation such as continuing education certificates, employer endorsements, or evidence of corrected behavior. We can use this evidence to show the Board that your reinstatement would be a net benefit for the public good.
Additionally, the Lento Law Firm Team has experience defending pharmacists coast-to-coast. This gives us the unique ability to not only pursue reinstatement in Nevada, but also to repair the damage done in other jurisdictions via reciprocal discipline. We can also assist in drafting applications in new states, carefully explaining your reinstatement.
Contact the Lento Law Firm to Begin Your License Defense Today
Pharmacists in the Las Vegas area face unrelenting pressure from the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy. When a single allegation can unravel a decade or more of the hard work it takes to earn your title, an investigation can seem overwhelming.
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team is standing by to help pharmacists in the Las Vegas area. By drawing on our extensive experience to contest charges, mitigate sanctions, represent clients in hearings, and pursue reinstatement, our team often makes the difference between someone keeping their license or kissing it goodbye.
Do not let an oversight, innocent mistake, or consumer complaint derail your career. Our team serves pharmacists across Nevada and nationwide, delivering a resolute defense to clients from North Las Vegas to Boulder City and beyond. Give us a call at 888-535-3686 or message us online to defend your license, your reputation, and your livelihood today.
