DEA Chicago Suspends Registration of Suburban Chicago Pharmacy
DEA Chicago investigation uncovers alleged violations committed by Evergreen Park-based pharmacy
CHICAGO – Robert Bell, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration - Chicago Division, announced that on April 27, 2022, DEA Chicago Diversion Investigators delivered an Immediate Suspension Order to Evergreen Park Pharmacy, located at 2850 W. 95th Street, Suite 100, Evergreen Park, Illinois, suspending its DEA Registration. The Order suspends the pharmacy’s authority to dispense Schedule II-V controlled pharmaceutical medicines, pursuant to alleged regulatory violations inconsistent with the public interest.
The DEA investigation revealed numerous alleged regulatory violations, and a subsequent Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program review revealed that excessive opioids and dangerous drug combinations were dispensed to multiple patients. A pharmacy expert reviewed dispensing records of controlled substances to three Evergreen Park Pharmacy patients. The expert concluded that the quantities and combinations of controlled substance medications dispensed to these patients were not for legitimate medical purposes, and could have led to respiratory failure and death.
A state-licensed pharmacy is entitled to apply for a DEA Registration and must maintain an approved, active registration to legally dispense controlled substance medications. If a pharmacy fails to maintain regulated professional standards when dispensing controlled substances, and continued dispensing authority would be inconsistent with the public interest, the DEA may administratively suspend and ultimately revoke the pharmacy’s registration.
The public is reminded that an Immediate Suspension Order alleges regulatory violations. Registrants have the right to administrative hearings prior to an Administrative Law Judge rendering a final decision.