Palm Care Pharmacy Chain Pays $350K to Resolve Case of Missing Controlled Substances

A San Diego County pharmacy chain has paid $350,000 to resolve allegations that numerous controlled substances went unaccounted for at its El Cajon storefront, it was announced Thursday.

A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation found that Palm Care Pharmacy’s El Cajon location “failed to control its inventory of controlled substances, failed to maintain a complete record of controlled substances and the transactions, and sold listed chemical products (e.g., pseudoephedrine) without the necessary training and certification,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Among the pills that went unaccounted for were opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone and tramadol, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxants.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the activity in question constituted “multiple violations of the Controlled Substances Act and the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act from 2018 through 2022.”

Along with the monetary settlement, Palm Care entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA that requires the pharmacy “to undertake additional measures to handle controlled substances properly and safely.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said there was no determination of liability as part of the settlement.

San Diego U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said in a statement, “Failure to manage inventory of controlled substances is not just a compliance issue, it’s a public safety issue. Every untracked pill is a problem waiting to happen.”