Late fall 2011 and again early in 2012 PA BOP and others from the Bureau of Investigation was notified that there was a CVS store with a RPH still on the PIC the permit.. although the RPH was no longer working for CVS for some time .. and it needed to be updated with the current PIC…. there is proof that this was done multiple times. Prior to Nov. 2011 no one bothered to check the permit since 1917 had a new PIC/RPH. Then early one April morning that a employee of this store stated late in the evening ( after 10pm) the the night before the then RX supervisor and a few other RPHs entered the Pharmacy to check the Script Pro. This was just a few weeks after the New Jersey incident made national news. They proceeded to the robot and within minutes a contaminated cell was discovered… RX supervisor quickly made some calls to whom he stated were to CVS corporate. Reports were run and the waiting bins were checked and Rx’s were pulled and definite contamination was found in the waiters. The RPHs were pulled aside and basically were told not to speak on the incident. The robot was taken out of service and remained down for the next three weeks. The next morning another employee claimed that the new PIC/RPH was still not on the pharmacy permit … apparently now things start to get very interesting…reports were ran… to check to see how any rx’s were filled in a certain time frame and start calling patients…the reports were done and upwards of 75 rx’s were recently filled….there were no calls made to patients and the pharmacy staff was told the robot was broken. Once again the appropriate agencies were called.. over and over.. until they listened…after all the RPH on the permit had not worked in the stores in months. About two weeks after this the DOS started contacting previous employees to investigate the situation(s) surrounding the operation at this particular pharmacy… Apparently some current and previous employees met with the DOS and handed over the robot’s generated reports about the contaminated robot. The AG’s office, DOS investigator and the professional conduct person interviewed these witnesses. …hard copy evidence was given as well as a horrific amount of other errors that were made and unreported in the CVS system. This took place on a Friday and the very next Monday these folks showed up at this particular CVS location and began the investigation. A week later the pharmacy permit was updated with the correct RPH’s name, but the paperwork was backed dated to late Feb. 2012. They were clearly covering their asses over this screw up. This was a total of TEN MONTHS since the new PIC/RPH had been put in place… and this same RPH was still on the permit at his former location, in fact he was still signing the 222 forms from his old location and sometimes they were brought to him to sign and then driven back to that store.
This store was now on the radar…but most staff had not a clue what really was happening…it was even stated by a staff RPh and one in store management that a RPH contaminated the robot on purpose after the robot was put back in service. This RPH was called to the office in the front store in mid May and was told the RPH was being transferred to another location… In fact the RPH was told not to return to the pharmacy and was asked to leave.. They did everything but handcuff…in fact, it came out that second contamination was done by a floater…actually this one RPH was one the RPHs that was there under the cover of darkness that night to check the robot. Reportedly it was discovered that CVS was aware of the two staffers that had met with the DOS… This was pure retaliation… The RPH that admitted to the second contamination was part-time and shortly thereafter got the full time position the RPH wanted…Not at all surprising with CVS…do as they say, keep quiet and you get rewarded. A interview with ABC 27 news had the info on the robot but did not air that portion due to no comment by the agencies involved.
No one is talking and there were numerous contacts trying to find out the permit issues and have been told this matter is still under investigation as of October 2013. A email was sent o the Bureau Director and received a call back from legal and was told they could not give disclose anymore info… Reportedly a prosecutor with the DOS has become involved with these issues. It has been reported that CVS has had meetings very recently with these agencies and AG office.
For those of you old enough to remember.. this story reminds me of some of stories that you use to see on the Twilight Zone TV show.. strange…but.. probably true !.. and this is just one of the 6 -7 odd thousand stores in this chain.. an anomaly??? …you be the judge !
Filed under: General Problems
DOS = dept of state … part of the Secretary of State office.. Contamination is wrong drug being placed in the wrong “bin” on the robot. There was a issue in NJ of Tamoxifen being mixed with a children’s fluoride in the robot.. and some 50 Rxs were dispensed of the “mixed” drugs. There have been rumors of many more robots being contaminated… but no documentation.
That story was a bit hard to follow for me. What is this “contamination” from? What’s DOS? Does the robot report itself as contaminated?
Oregon BOP would crucify these people if it were here, rightly so.