Pharmacist’s License Suspended For Unauthorized Use Of Drugs

Pharmacists have a tough job. They are around medications all day long and this can be tempting for even the most ethical pharmacy worker. They may feel coerced to take the drugs for their own use or even bring them home.

This is what happened to an Illinois pharmacist. Her license was suspended after federal investigators found prescription drugs in her home. The woman owned and worked as the head pharmacist at Doug’s Compounding Pharmacy.

The complaint against the pharmacy also stated that the pharmacy purchased more than 50,000 tablets of Clonidine, which is an antihypertensive drug. However, the pharmacy never sold the medication. Also, the pharmacist gave drugs to her children without a prescription.

The pharmacist’s license was suspended, effective May 5, after the complaint alleged that the woman was a “danger to the public.” However, she still has not been criminally charged with any wrongdoing in state or federal court.

The pharmacy suddenly shut down last winter after a foreclosure complaint was filed against the pharmacist, who defaulted on a $1.75 million mortgage. She and her husband are in the middle of a divorce.

During an inspection of the pharmacy last year, the pharmacist said that her pharmacy did not dispense or stock any Clonidine tablets, and she was unable to produce any prescription that was compounded using the drug.

On March 10, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators removed 43,893 controlled substances from the pharmacist’s home. The drugs included medications in their original manufacture bottles, unlabeled vials, containers of compounded creams, and loose medications in the bottoms of bags.

On March 13, the pharmacist’s husband turned over Clonidine found in their home to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is believed that the drug was being given to the couple’s three children, who were “sleepy and lethargic,” according to daycare providers.

On March 28, the pharmacist also admitted to diverting controlled substances from her former employer, Scott’s Family Pharmacy, in 2017 and 2018. She took the medications and brought them into her home, storing them in a closet.

According to the complaint, the pharmacist violated the Illinois Controlled Substances Act by engaging in unprofessional and unethical conduct by defrauding and harming the public, failing to sell medications, dispensing prescription drugs without a prescription, and failing to secure controlled substances in a cabinet. The pharmacist also violated the Illinois Administrative Code by committing theft and failing to establish and maintain effective controls against prescription drug diversion.

Keep Your License With Help From a Tampa Pharmacist License & Pharmacy Permit Lawyer

People trust pharmacists to provide them with safe medications. Pharmacists need to be ethical and follow the rules of prescription safety.

If a pharmacist has engaged in unethical, unprofessional, or criminal conduct, they can lose their license for a long time. Get the help you need from a Tampa pharmacist license & pharmacy permit lawyer from The Law Offices of David P. Rankin, P.A. I can help you protect your license and income. Fill out the online form or call (813) 968-6633 to schedule a consultation.

Source:

fordcountychronicle.com/articles/featured/documents-pharmacists-license-suspended-after-assortment-of-drugs-found-in-her-home/