Substances

Creve Coeur pharmacy and owner agree to pay $1,507,808.50 to resolve lawsuit alleging dispensing of controlled substances with no legitimate medical purpose

ST. LOUIS – The United States has reached a civil settlement with Olive Street Pharmacy, LLC (Olive Street) and pharmacy technician Irina Shlafshteyn (Shlafshteyn) resolving a civil complaint bringing claims under the False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for damages, statutory penalties, and injunctive relief related to the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances, including controlled substances that were submitted to Medicaid or Medicare for reimbursement.  As part of the settlement, Olive Street and Shlafshteyn agreed to pay $1,507,808.50, an amount that was based in part on their ability to pay. According to the civil complaint filed by

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Colorado Nurse Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Controlled Substances

DENVER – A Colorado nurse was sentenced to prison for abusing his position of trust by taking fentanyl from a hospital to use while on the job.  Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurse Kurt Vasquez, 41, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for illegally obtaining fentanyl through fraud and deception while working in the catheterization lab at a hospital.  Vasquez was a contract nurse placed at a hospital in summer 2019.  Shortly after his placement, he began executing a plan to obtain fentanyl, midazolam, and propofol for his personal use.  Between June 2019 and September 2019, he obtained more drugs

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