California Accuses McKesson of Not Monitoring Controlled Substances

California’s State Board of Pharmacy is considering a request to revoke or suspend McKesson’s wholesale permit for “excessively” supplying controlled substances to a children’s pharmacy that are not typically distributed to pediatric patients.

The wholesale distributor was accused of shipping large quantities of a cough remedy Phenergan (promethazine) with codeine syrup, as well as Xanax (alprazolam) to the outpatient pharmacy at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Phenergan is a Schedule V controlled substance, while Xanax is a Schedule IV substance.

The complaint from California’s Department of Consumer Affairs further alleges that starting in September 2017, shipments of Phenergan with codeine syrup increased by 80 percent on a monthly basis and monthly shipments of 100-count Xanax 2mg later increased by up to 275 percent. The board further alleges that inventory was diverted by pharmacy staff.