Pharmacists are often surprised to learn that their legal expense incurred to hire an attorney to defend a Board of Pharmacy complaint is covered by insurance. If you are in need of a pharmacy board attorney, contact your insurance carrier to determine (a) whether your attorney’s fees are covered as part of your policy, and (b) whether your carrier has an approved list of pharmacy board attorneys that must be used in order to obtain insurance reimbursement.

Notification

Depending upon your policy, you may be required to notify your insurance company within a specified number of days of the claim, to protect your right to coverage for a pharmacy board attorney, so notification is an important first step. While in some cases insurance companies can be persuaded to allow coverage on a late claim, this is the exception, not the rule. Act swiftly to protect your insurance coverage.

When coverage is doubtful

And if insurance coverage is doubtful, or slow to materialize, do not delay securing a competent pharmacy board attorney. Sometimes it is necessary to secure an interim attorney to protect your interests while your insurance coverage questions are resolved.

File you insurance claim quickly

When in doubt, file the claim with your insurer. Since time can be a factor, you should err on the side of caution and proceed with your insurance claim. Shift the burden to your insurance carrier to deny your claim and explain why there is no coverage for a pharmacy board attorney.

Call to learn more

If you are facing an investigation by the Oregon Board of Pharmacy, attorney Eli Stutsman may be able to help. He is not an insurance coverage attorney, but he can assist you in reviewing your policy. If a coverage attorney will be required, a referral will be offered to you. To learn more about his practice, call 503.274.4048.