Suburban Pharmacy LTC, Inc.
Outcome
Suburban Pharmacy LTC agreed June 30, 2020, to pay $150,000 to resolve DEA allegations of failing to keep accurate controlled substance records and maintain effective diversion controls; DEA audit found more than 22,000 dose discrepancy including 6,000+ units of alprazolam 2mg.
Details
Suburban Pharmacy LTC, Inc. — 22,000-Dose Controlled Substance Discrepancy Settlement (2018–2020)
Outcome: Suburban Pharmacy LTC, Inc. of West Hartford, Connecticut, agreed on June 30, 2020, to pay $150,000 to resolve DEA allegations that it failed to keep complete and accurate controlled substance records and maintain effective controls against diversion; a DEA audit following a reported loss of more than 6,000 doses of alprazolam found a total discrepancy exceeding 22,000 controlled substance doses.
Suburban Pharmacy LTC dispensed prescription drugs, including controlled substances, to approximately 200 long-term care centers, assisted living facilities, group homes, and other in-patient facilities throughout Connecticut — a high-volume, LTC-focused operation with substantial controlled substance throughput.
In fall 2018, Suburban Pharmacy reported a loss of more than 6,000 dosage units of alprazolam 2mg, a Schedule IV controlled substance. The DEA for New England initiated an investigation. Following an audit of Suburban Pharmacy's controlled substance inventory, DEA investigators found a total discrepancy of more than 22,000 doses of controlled substances across the pharmacy's inventory — a finding that dwarfed the initial reported loss and indicated systemic recordkeeping failures rather than a single isolated incident.
The allegations against Suburban Pharmacy included failing to keep complete and accurate records regarding the receipt and dispensing of controlled substances, and failing to maintain effective controls against the diversion of controlled substances. Under the civil settlement, the pharmacy paid $150,000. The case was announced June 30, 2020, by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.
Primary Source: DEA Press Release — West Hartford Pharmacy to Pay $150K to Settle Controlled Substance Act Allegations (Jun. 30, 2020)
How Crucible Prevents This
A single reported loss of 6,000+ alprazolam units triggered an audit that found a total 22,000-dose discrepancy — a compounded deficit that suggests small discrepancies were not being caught and reported as they accumulated. Crucible's monthly controlled substance reconciliation controls, with mandatory variance reporting for any discrepancy exceeding a threshold, would have surfaced the alprazolam losses before they accumulated to 22,000 units.
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