Quick Hits: Unlicensed Pharmacist Costs Walgreens $7.5M

Fake it ‘til you make it can be a good strategy, but generally not in the medical field. A recent CNN article discussed a unique case in which a San Francisco woman worked as a Walgreens pharmacist for more than a decade without a license from the Board of Pharmacy. During that time, she filled more than 745,000 prescriptions, including more than 100,000 for controlled substances. Walgreens failed to properly check the employees credentials.

Walgreens will pay $7.5 million in penalties, costs, and remedial payments. The company must also implement a verification program to ensure proper licensing of employees, conduct annual audits, and submit yearly compliance reports. The employee, who is obviously no longer employed by Walgreens, was criminally charged last summer with false personation and related felonies by the California Attorney General’s Office.