A West Hartford pharmacy that dispenses prescription drugs, including controlled substances, to approximately 200 long-term care centers, assisted living facilities, group homes, and other in-patient facilities agreed to pay a $150,000 penalty to resolve allegations that it violated civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.
The DEA opened its investigation in October 2018 following a reported loss of more than 6,000 dosage units of alprazolam 2mg, a Schedule IV controlled substance. The pharmacy's own internal investigation indicated that employee theft likely contributed to the loss. The DEA then audited the pharmacy's controlled substance inventory and identified a total discrepancy of more than 22,000 doses.
The government alleged that the discrepancy was due in part to lax controls against diversion and to the pharmacy's failure to maintain accurate inventories of the controlled substances it received, sold, dispensed, or otherwise disposed of. The pharmacy was also alleged to have failed to keep complete and accurate receipt and dispensing records.
The U.S. Attorney noted that pharmacies that fail to keep accurate records and maintain strong controls open the door to diversion by employees. The civil settlement resolved the allegations and is not a finding of liability.