Wal-Mart settles drug records accusation

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to a $637,000 fine to settle allegations that it violated drug record keeping regulations at its pharmacies in south Texas.

Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that Wal-Mart paid the fine on Dec. 29 and that the settlement was made final on Tuesday.

Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson says the case began with five Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies that allegedly didn't have records the government requires to help prevent diversion of controlled substances. Johnson said the problem with the records violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, under which the complaint was brought. More Wal-Mart pharmacies in the region were then audited, he said.

"The accountability audits did not match the drugs on hand, revealing major overages and shortages in the accountability of controlled substances, and there were missing invoices for controlled substances all in violation of the CSA," Johnson's office said in a news release.

"Because of the pharmacies' lack of proper record keeping, a variety of Schedule II, III, IV and V controlled substances were lost or stolen and possibly diverted," the release said.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore said the settlement was limited to discrepancies between records and inventory involving a small number of pharmacies in Texas. The company has more than 4,000 pharmacies in its U.S. stores.

Moore would not directly address questions about whether any drugs were missing.

"We provide our managers with training regarding controlled substances. Of course, we'll continue to review those practices," Moore said.

She said Wal-Mart is eager to comply with the law.

"We take record keeping seriously and we cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the (Drug Enforcement Administration) in the investigation. We continuously review our processes at our pharmacies to ensure they are accurate and in full compliance with the law," Moore said.