What Happened
A pharmacist at a Rite Aid in Saltville, Virginia filled approximately 47 controlled-substance prescriptions written in the names of five dogs belonging to his girlfriend, who operated a veterinary clinic, diverting the drugs for his own personal use.
A DEA review of Virginia's Prescription Monitoring Program found the prescriptions filled between January and December 2019, all purportedly issued or authorized by a veterinarian at the clinic. When agents examined the underlying paperwork, they found many prescriptions had been altered or were simply photocopies of previously written scripts — and that seven of the prescriptions were filled for a dog that had already been euthanized in August 2019.
The pharmacist pleaded guilty to obtaining drugs by fraud and to using the registration number of another person in the course of acquiring a controlled substance, with sentencing scheduled for late August 2020.
What Went Wrong
- Veterinary prescriptions received less scrutiny. Controlled-substance prescriptions written for animals were filled without the same verification rigor applied to human patients.
- A personal relationship with the prescriber's clinic created a conflict of interest. The pharmacist's connection to the veterinary clinic through his girlfriend gave him an insider channel to obtain and alter prescriptions.
- Altered and photocopied prescriptions were accepted repeatedly. Nearly four dozen fills over a year went through despite prescriptions that, on later examination, showed clear signs of tampering.
- No cross-check caught a prescription filled after the "patient" had died. Fills continued for an animal that had already been euthanized months earlier.
How It Could Have Been Prevented
- Apply the same corresponding-responsibility scrutiny to veterinary controlled-substance prescriptions as to human prescriptions, including verifying the prescription directly with the issuing clinic.
- Flag repeat controlled-substance fills for the same non-human "patient" names for manual review.
- Prohibit pharmacy staff from filling prescriptions connected to their own personal or family relationships.
- Train pharmacists to recognize photocopied or visually altered prescriptions as an immediate red flag requiring prescriber callback.
Related Guidance
- Regulatory Guide — Corresponding-responsibility obligations for pharmacies under the CSA.
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Indicators including altered prescriptions and conflicts of interest.
- Community Pharmacy Self-Assessment Checklist — Self-assessment for retail pharmacy controls.
- Diversion Case Registry — Related pharmacist self-diversion cases.