Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, commonly called CHKD, agreed to pay $68,400 to settle civil penalty claims accusing the hospital of violating the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) announced.
The federal government alleged that “CHKD failed to comply with various recordkeeping requirements” mandated for DEA registrants who handle controlled substances.
Providing some specifics, EDVA said the government accused the Norfolk-based hospital of having prescription drugs deliveries coming to a warehouse that wasn’t registered with the DEA between late March 2021 and December 2021.
In addition, the EDVA alleged that those deliveries included a shipment of 200 one-milliliter fentanyl syringes, and CHKD not only cannot show delivery to its pharmacy, but could not account for the whereabouts of the syringes.
EDVA noted that the purpose of recordkeeping requirements mandated under the CSA is to protect the public from the danger of having highly addictive or dangerous controlled substances, such as opioids, being diverted into the illicit market, while also ensuring that patients have for legitimate medical purposes.
There was no determination of the civil liability in this case. CHKD agreed to pay the settlement amount, and, according to 13News Now, a spokesperson for the hospital said CHKD no longer allows the delivery of controlled substances to their warehouse. Shipments are now delivered directly to the pharmacy. The spokesperson also said the hospital strengthened its record-keeping and receiving procedures.
In a separate agreement with the DEA Diversion Group , CHKD agreement to take steps to prevent conduct like these alleged violations from occurring in the future.
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