Allina Health Systems has agreed to pay $375,000 to settle a claim by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota after a federal investigation of one of its pharmacies uncovered numerous problems.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration looked into the practices at Apple Valley Pharmacy after two 500-count bottles of the painkiller hydrocodone were found missing. The DEA concluded that the pharmacist in charge of Apple Valley Pharmacy had "diverted" controlled substances for about three years, from Jan. 1, 2006 to Sept. 18, 2009, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
The unnamed pharmacist has not been charged.
In the settlement agreement, the DEA found that the Apple Valley Pharmacy, which is part of Allina Community Pharmacies, failed to maintain effective controls against theft and loss of controlled substances, as required by federal law, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The pharmacy also failed to maintain proper records or submit accurate reports. It dispensed controlled substances without required documentation, including, in some instances, a signed prescription.
In return for settling the case, Allina Health Systems was released from any future civil liability.
An Allina spokesman said in an e-mailed statement that the organization resolved this matter cooperatively with the U.S. attorney's office.
"We take our responsibility for the management of controlled substances very seriously," the statement said. "It was the vigilance of our staff that first brought this matter to light. We took immediate action and the pharmacist involved no longer works for Allina."
JACKIE CROSBY
