RANGELEY – Joey McLafferty’s pharmacist license still remains temporarily suspended after he failed a state exam for the second time.
In a related matter, on Tuesday, the state pharmacy board denied the Rangeley pharmacist’s application to become a pharmacy technician due to inaccuracies on his application, Anne L. Head, director of the state Office of Licensing and Registration said Wednesday.
Head said McLafferty didn’t report a prior conviction on operating under the influence that the board heard about during a two-day hearing in August. The state is considering a consent agreement and fine for inaccurate information on the application, and wants a new application submitted before acting on it.
In June, the state pharmacy board suspended McLafferty’s pharmacy license. That happened after a state pharmacy investigator accused the pharmacist, who owns Riddle’s Pharmacy in Rangeley, of violating state and federal security regulations, including failure to secure prescription drugs. The investigation was launched after police learned that three teenagers had been stealing or selling prescription medication from the store where they had worked.
The pharmacy board ruled in August that the 71-year-old McLafferty did violate several regulations. It gave him a list of sanctions, including passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination and working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist in good standing for at least 14 days. The supervising pharmacist will be required to send in a report to the state board on McLafferty’s performance.
The state board was expected to consider restoring McLafferty’s license Tuesday but, since McLafferty hasn’t passed the test yet, it couldn’t.
“It thought I had passed it,” McLafferty said Wednesday. He thought he had passed it both times, he said.
It’s not hard, he said, but there are a couple parts he’s missing and his attorney is checking to see if the state provided him with all the information he needs to review before taking the test again, McLafferty said.
The first time he failed, McLafferty said he received a grade of 62 and the second time, he received a 68. A 75 is a passing grade, he said.
“I’m improving, but I’ve got to get a 75,” he said.
McLafferty, a veteran pharmacist of 45 years, said he will take the computerized test again on Thursday, Nov. 17.
The Rangeley pharmacy is being run by substitute pharmacists. It has been open five days a week. But that will be reduced to four days a week after Thanksgiving when Rumford pharmacist John Bartash stops coming up and focuses more on his own business, Rangeley pharmacy technician Billie Linnell said Wednesday. Oakland pharmacist Robert Nutting will stay on as pharmacist at the Rangeley store, she said.
Once McLafferty passes the test, has his 14 days of supervision and the board receives the report, it will consider restoring the license, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Black said Wednesday.
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