TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A federal court sentenced a Toledo pharmacy and two of its pharmacists to pay a civil fine of $ 375,000 and placed restrictions on the supply of opioids and other controlled substances.
Shaffer Pharmacy, along with pharmacist owner Thomas Tadsen and pharmacist Wilson Bunton, has stopped issuing certain opioid prescriptions, including combination prescriptions of opioid and benzodiazepines.
The complaint alleged that the defendants had repeatedly dispensed opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Narcotics Act, disregarding “red flags” – obvious indications of drug diversion and drug addiction.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists must adhere to the Controlled Substances Act and take active steps to ensure that opioids are dispensed on the basis of medical legitimacy,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Department of Justice’s civil division. “The Justice Department is committed to working closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration to address the opioid addiction crisis.”
“With opioid abuse and overdose deaths on the rise again in the Northern District of Ohio, we must remain vigilant in our prevention efforts and hold the medical profession accountable for allegedly improperly prescribing or dispensing opioids,” said Acting US attorney Bridget M. Brennan for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to use all our available enforcement capabilities to counter this threat and those allegedly involved in these illegal practices.”
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