Ali Aghamoosa, an Orono pharmacist, has been suspended following allegations of fraudulent billing of a customer’s insurance and allowing unqualified employees to work in the prescription filling area.
Aghamoosa has been filling prescriptions at the pharmacy on Mill Street since 2000. He received his Maine pharmaceutical license in 1995 while working as a consultant to a pharmacy at York Hospital.
Aghamoosa does not plan on closing the pharmacy during his 30-day suspension that started on March 11. On March 3, Joseph Bruno, president of the Maine Board of Pharmacy, sent a letter to Aghamoosa informing him of his suspension.
In a brief phone interview with the Bangor Daily News, Aghamoosa said the pharmacy would be open.
The letter sent from Bruno stated that the investigation resulted from multiple complaints between 2006 and 2015. It is unclear whether there will be another licensed pharmacist during his suspension. Further action may be taken once the 30-day suspension is up.
Bruno’s letter states, “As a result of your actions your license as a pharmacist must be suspended in order to adequately respond to these risks.”
On three previous occasions — Feb. 27, 2007; Sept. 18, 2015 and March 3, 2016, Aghamoosa admitted to “engaging in unprofessional conduct, specifically failing to maintain effective controls to prevent prescription errors or misfills.”
On one of the incident’s, Aghamoosa, according to the document, billed a patient’s insurance company for three refills of Denavir 1 percent cream after the patient did not pick up the prescription. Aghamoosa returned the mediation to the wholesaler and received a full refund but still billed the insurance company for $631.22.
Aghamoosa also allowed Khawla Wise, an unlicensed pharmacist, to be present in the prescription filling area, whilst allowing Atena Talebzadeh, a pharmacy intern, to practice pharmacy, even though she was not on official pharmacy rotation.
“Mr. Aghamoosa’s actions constitute the practice of fraud, deceit, or corruption in insurance reimbursement procedures under Board Rules,” Bruno said.
The investigation is set to be complete before noon on April 9, Bruno’s letter states.
