What Happened
In January 2025, Maine veterinarian Dr. Alan Toothaker, DVM, agreed to pay $145,360 to resolve claims that he violated the Controlled Substances Act through improper storage and recordkeeping violations. The DEA was unable to conduct an audit at his registered location in May and July 2023 because of recordkeeping deficiencies. The resulting inspection found minimal oversight of ordering and handling of controlled substances, creating an opportunity for significant diversion, particularly of tramadol. Controlled substances were stored with non-controlled substances in safes that employees could access unsupervised. The claims were allegations only, with no determination of liability.
“agreed to pay $145,360 to resolve claims he violated 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.