Alberta College of Pharmacy: Confirm a Provider’s Authority Before Selling Schedule 1 Drugs for Office Use
After the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta reported a man allegedly presenting himself as a physician in Edmonton without a practice permit since 2015, the Alberta College of Pharmacy reminded pharmacy teams on September 8, 2026 that Schedule 1 drugs for office use may only be sold once the provider’s authority to possess them is confirmed. The reminder applies to every community pharmacy that supplies clinic stock.
In this article & details
On September 8, 2026 the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) published a notice to pharmacy teams prompted by a media release from the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA). ACP’s message is directed at community pharmacies, which are the usual source of office-use stock for clinics: “before selling Schedule 1 drugs for ‘office use,’ pharmacy team members must first confirm that the healthcare provider is authorized to possess these drugs.”
What CPSA reported
In its August 21, 2026 release, CPSA said Max F. Klein of Edmonton has not held an active practice permit since 2015 and that his registration was cancelled in 2022 following a hearing tribunal conviction. He is accused of presenting himself as a physician and providing health services to patients in the Edmonton area. CPSA reminded the public that “a person who is not a regulated health professional cannot provide health services in Alberta, or use a protected title such as ‘doctor,’” and asked anyone who received services from him to contact Health Link at 811. ACP adds that the services allegedly included administering injections of prescription drugs, and that it “has been suggested the individual may have procured the drugs from a community pharmacy, although this has not yet been confirmed.”
Practice guidance for pharmacists
- Before any office-use sale of a Schedule 1 drug, look the provider up in their regulator’s public register (for Alberta physicians, CPSA’s Physician Directory) and confirm an active permit and a practice status that allows possession of the drug.
- Record who verified the registration, when, and what was found, alongside the office-use order and the provider’s signature.
- Treat unusual requests as a signal to pause: injectable drugs outside the provider’s stated practice, large or repeated quantities, or a new “clinic” customer with no verifiable address.
- Do not accept a professional title, business card or letterhead as proof of authority; only the current register entry counts.
- If a provider cannot be verified, decline the sale and report the concern to the provider’s regulator, and to ACP where pharmacy practice is involved.
Although the notice comes from Alberta, the expectation is the same across Canada: office-use supply is a sale to a regulated professional, and the pharmacy is responsible for knowing that the person receiving the drug is entitled to hold it.
References
- Ensure health professionals have authority to possess drugs for office use — Alberta College of Pharmacy, September 8, 2026 · accessed September 10, 2026 (accessed Sep 10, 2026)
- Max Klein allegedly providing health services without a licence — College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, August 21, 2026 · accessed September 10, 2026 (accessed Sep 10, 2026)
