SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Northern California pharmacist and owner of a pharmacy in Lockeford, California has agreed to pay $1 million in penalties, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Lawrence Howen and the business they ran under the name "Lockeford Drug" — which was a part of Nor-Cal Pharmacies Inc. — are accused of violating the Controlled Substances Act.
“The defendants went from pharmaceutical provider to drug dealer when they knowingly provided controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark in a press release. “This egregious behavior by a trusted individual and entity not only fuels the fire of the opioid epidemic, but also wreaks havoc on the community they serve. DEA is committed to keeping our communities safe and healthy and will hold registrants accountable by ensuring they are in compliance with the law.”
According to the release, the defendants agreed to an injunction that "bars them from dispensing controlled substances, owning a company that dispenses controlled substances, or employing another person that dispenses controlled substances." Generally, they can no longer run a pharmacy.
In the injunction, it is said that "the defendants knew or deliberately ignored that they were dispensing controlled substances pursuant to prescriptions that were not for a legitimate medical purpose."
It added that the defendants dispensed 116,330 pills, including more than 100,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, based on invalid prescriptions.
To read the full press release and more about the injunction, click here.
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