In what has been called "an exceptional case," the Quebec man known as the "king of pharmacists" has been barred from practising his profession for the next three decades.

Jonathan-Yan Perreault, 38, pleaded guilty in March to 60 counts of various charges, including drug use and falsifying his pharmaceutical licence.

The disciplinary council of the Quebec Order of Pharmacists suspended Perreault's licence for 31 years and 9 months and ordered him to pay fines totalling $142,000. He will be 70 years old by the time he'll be allowed to work as a pharmacist again in Quebec.

"The disciplinary council is of the opinion that the alleged acts are extremely serious and lie at the very heart of the practice of the profession," says the decision, rendered two weeks ago.

Empire of 40 Uniprix stores

Perreault built an empire of more than 40 pharmacies across southern Quebec, affiliated with the province's second-biggest drugstore chain, Uniprix, in the 11 years after he became a pharmacist in 2005.

The infractions date back to 2005, when he faked the signature of a pharmacist supervising his internship, and include incidents that occurred at pharmacies in the Quebec City area, Montreal, Laurentians and Montérégie.

The 82-page judgment details the charges against him, including:

Fraudulently obtaining his pharmaceutical licence.

Practising the profession under the influence of psychotrophic substances.

Making threats and committing sexual harassment.

Selling expired drugs.

Stockpiling drug samples with the intention of reselling them.

Producing false prescriptions.

Dispensing drugs without a prescription.

Making illegal claims, estimated at $174,000, to the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

The sanctions were agreed upon by lawyers for both Perreault and the order.

The disciplinary council accepted their proposed sanctions, citing the proof in the case, the gravity of the offences and the absence of explanation or remorse on Perreault's part.