Former pharmacy owner tells board he is rehabilitated after billing‑fraud allegations; matter submitted

Wasim Armanius, a pharmacist whose pharmacy permit and personal license were the subject of a 2019 accusation alleging insurance‑billing irregularities and shortages of inventory, told the California State Board of Pharmacy on Sept. 11 that he has completed substantial remedial education, paid investigative costs and undertaken personal and community work intended to show rehabilitation.

Deputy Attorney General Christina Jarvis summarized the accusation filed Oct. 8, 2019: inspectors alleged the pharmacy accepted returns of controlled substances without proper DEA registration, failed to maintain acquisition and disposition records, had large undocumented overages in multiple products and billed insurers for prescriptions patients said they did not receive. The investigation identified blank but signed prescription forms in the pharmacy and, in aggravation, petitioner had three prior citations for a medication error, failure to report to CURES and falsified continuing education documentation. Petitioner entered a stipulated settlement that imposed five years of probation effective Sept. 10, 2020, according to Jarvis. Petitioner has paid $38,970 in investigative and prosecution costs.

Wasim Armanius told the board he is remorseful, described a lengthy program of remedial continuing education (he provided certificates totaling hundreds of hours) and described spiritual counseling, mission work and community donations. He said he closed the pharmacy during the investigation and has since worked part‑time in several pharmacies to meet probation work requirements. Armanius acknowledged the acts described in the accusation and characterized them as the result of shortcuts and cultural and cognitive biases that led him to rationalize poor recordkeeping and billing choices as the business grew fast.

Board members pressed him on whether the conduct was deliberate and whether he accepts that it harmed patients and the profession. Armanius confirmed he sought financial gain by overbilling certain low‑value drugs and said he accepts responsibility; he also said he does not intend to own a pharmacy again and that his priority is family and ethical practice. Deputy AG Jarvis told the board the underlying conduct in the 2019 accusation was “pretty severe” and that a similar case today might warrant revocation. The matter was submitted; the board took no action in open session and moved to closed session for deliberation. The board will send its written decision to the petitioner.