The California Board of Pharmacy reprimanded AmerisourceBergen (ABC) and fined the distributor for shipping “excessive” amounts of opioids and other controlled substances to pharmacies. The company was also cited for failing to report suspicious orders to authorities.
From 2010 through 2015, two facilities in Corona and Valencia, Calif., sold large quantities of such medicines as oxycodone; Norco, which is a mixture of acetaminophen and hydrocodone; Phenergan with codeine syrup, which is a combination narcotic and cough suppressant; and other medicines to several different pharmacies, according to a decision posted on the board website.
The distributor sold excessive amounts without reporting suspicious orders to the state agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration and also failed to ensure that the controlled substances were sold for a legitimate medical purpose, despite “red flags,” according to the decision. As a result, AmerisourceBergen was ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and the company was also reprimanded.
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