Austin pharmacy to pay $200K to resolve allegations against Controlled Substances Act
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin pharmacy agreed to pay $200,000 in civil penalties to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), according to the Department of Justice.
The DOJ said a routine inspection was conducted at People’s Pharmacy Inc., or Peoples Rx, in June 2022. Peoples Rx operates five retail pharmacies and one compounding laboratory in the Austin area, according to the DOJ.
A release said investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration determined the pharmacy violated certain regulatory recordkeeping provisions, improperly dispensed controlled substances to practitioners for office use and issued prescriptions without authorization.
“During their inspection, DEA diversion investigators also learned that Peoples Rx had sold pseudoephedrine products without self-certifying as required by the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 (CMEA),” the DOJ said.
According to the release, the Diversion Control Unit in DEA’s San Antonio District Office led the investigation.
“The primary goal of the DEA’s diversion control program is to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of controlled substances from their lawful purpose into illicit drug traffic. In furtherance of this goal, DEA conducts inspections of pharmacies and other DEA registrants to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements relating to drug security and recordkeeping,” the DOJ said.
According to the DOJ, the claims resolved by the settlement were allegations only, and there had been no determination of liability.