Two hospital pharmacies in Tulsa, both owned and managed by an Ohio-based pharmacy services company rather than the hospitals themselves, lost track of very large quantities of controlled substances between October 2005 and July 2008. At the larger pharmacy, a federal audit found 399,500 dosage units of hydrocodone and 234,000 dosage units of alprazolam unaccounted for over roughly two years, along with 64 missing controlled-substance invoices. At the second pharmacy, 6,800 dosage units of hydrocodone, 300 of phentermine and 23,700 of alprazolam could not be accounted for over about a year, plus 47 missing invoices.
The investigation began after the company itself reported the missing drugs. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration then conducted an audit that quantified the shortages. Investigators said the employee in charge of invoices and medication purchasing at the larger pharmacy created false invoices and used fake names to order drugs for personal use, then destroyed the invoices once the drugs arrived.
The company fired two employees. The purchasing employee pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing and distributing hydrocodone. Prosecutors did not say why no one was charged in connection with the losses at the second pharmacy.
The company agreed to pay a $1 million civil penalty to the United States to resolve allegations that the pharmacies violated several provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. The settlement is not a finding of liability. A company spokesman said it was taking a closer look at its policies, and the U.S. Attorney said the resolution underscored the responsibility of pharmacies to keep controlled drugs from being diverted.