What Happened
Nor-Cal Pharmacies Inc., doing business as Lockeford Drug in San Joaquin County, California, and pharmacist-owner Lawrence Howen agreed in November 2023 to pay $1 million in penalties to resolve allegations of Controlled Substances Act violations. A permanent injunction bars them from dispensing controlled substances, owning a company that dispenses them, or employing anyone who does. The injunction includes findings that they dispensed 116,330 pills, including more than 100,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, on invalid prescriptions presented by Joe Anthony Bernal, and took no steps to determine whether the prescriptions were valid.
“have agreed to pay $1 million in penalties to resolve allegations of violations of the Controlled Substances Act”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.