DEA Targets Another Large-Chain Pharmacy for Violations

The U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced yesterday it had issued orders to show cause (OSC) to three Florida Walgreens pharmacies. An OSC is served as a notice to a DEA registered entity to provide it an opportunity to show cause as to why the DEA should not revoke its registration because its registration is deemed inconsistent with the public interest.  "These registrants have a responsibility to their customers, as well as to the community, to be an advocate against prescription drug abuse that has plagued Florida since 2009 and not contribute to the epidemic, said Mark Trouville, special agent in charge of the DEA's Miami Field Division. "(We) will continue to work with our local and state partners to assure that all prescription drugs are getting into the hands of legitimate patients for legitimate medical needs.” The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says that, on average, seven people die every day in Florida due to prescription drug abuse.

In September, the DEA revoked the registration of two Florida CVS pharmacies, the first time it had revoked the registration of a branch of a large national chain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently tasked states with achieving control over opioid pain prescriptions, saying that state agencies, as regulators of healthcare practice, have the responsibility and authority to monitor and correct inappropriate and illegal prescribing. Read more about it in Psychiatric News here.

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