With the filing of two class action lawsuits, one against Walgreens and Costco, and one against CVS, in two federal district courts on August 6, pharmacies find themselves in a perplexing situation (yet again). For these suits were filed not by those who suffered from the over-dispensing of opioids, but by chronic pain patients who were denied opioid medication by pharmacies.
Continue Reading Lawsuits Filed Against Retail Chain Pharmacies: The Corresponding Responsibility Catch-22
DEA Decisions: Evidence of “Red Flags” of Drug Diversion
On November 10, 2016, the DEA issued its final decision and order in the case against Jones Total Health Care Pharmacy, L.L.C. (“Jones Pharmacy”) and SND Health Care L.L.C. (“SND”). The
Administrator ordered that the DEA deny Jones Pharmacy’s registration renewal application and also deny SND’s pending registration application. These orders were consistent with the
DEA Decisions: In the Matter of The Medicine Shoppe
In the Matter of the Medicine Shoppe (October 2, 2014)
DEA recently revoked the registration of the Medicine Shoppe, a San Antonio, Texas, pharmacy, based on a finding that the pharmacy violated the Controlled Substances Act in all of the following ways:
- dispensed controlled substances without a prescription;
- dispensed controlled substances when the prescription was
NABP Releases “Red Flags”
At the 110th Annual Meeting of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (“NABP”) a new educational video entitled “Red Flags” was released by NABP to assist pharmacists in properly exercising their corresponding responsibility and identifying the warning signs of prescription drug abuse and diversion. The educational video was sponsored by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Cardinal Health,
A Pharmacist’s Obligation: Corresponding Responsibility and Red Flags of Diversion
Corresponding responsibility is perhaps one of the most commonly misunderstood and/or (unfortunately) unknown concepts found in DEA’s regulations. 
And yet, enforcement actions against pharmacies are most frequently initiated when a pharmacist fails to exercise his/her corresponding responsibility. I have had countless conversations with practicing pharmacists who are either unfamiliar with the concept of a “corresponding