Shaun Ross Wiebe (photo/Facebook)

By Kevin Rothwell

Addiction investigation

Manslaughter suspect was suspended by College of Pharmacists

Jan 28, 2021 | 5:01 PM

A former Vernon pharmacist who is accused of manslaughter in the 2018 death of 37-year old Heather Barker, had his license suspended in 2019 following an addiction investigation.

“On January 22, 2021, 43-year-old Shaun Ross Wiebe was arrested by the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP’s serious crime unit, and has been formally charged with manslaughter in Barker’s death and one count of assault causing bodily harm stemming from an incident in February of 2018,” Constable Chris Terleski said.

The College of Pharmacists of B.C. suspended Weibe’s licence on Dec 27, 2019.

Pursuant to section 35(1)(b) of the Health Professions Act R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 183 (“HPA”), the Inquiry Committee of the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (the “College”) has ordered a suspension of the registration of registrant Shaun Ross Wiebe pending completion of an investigation, unless he provides medical evidence from an addiction medicine specialist, satisfactory to the College, that he is fit to resume practice, or he successfully applies to the Inquiry Committee to cancel the suspension under section 35(4) of the HPA.

The registrant will not be able to practice pharmacy in B.C. while his registration is suspended.

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The Inquiry Committee was satisfied that there is a prima facie evidence that the registrant suffers from a substance addiction that renders him unfit to practice at this time. The committee added the registrant’s continued practice poses a risk to the public, and that this risk cannot be addressed at this time with conditions or limits. Therefore, it ruled nothing short of suspension will adequately protect the public.

Wiebe had been a pharmacist in Vernon since 2002.

He remains in police custody and will appear in court again on Feb 10, 2021 to fix a date for a bail hearing.