CANTON, Ohio — The Ohio Board of Pharmacy issued significant sanctions against a Canton CVS Pharmacy over allegations short staffing during the height of the pandemic endangered patient safety.
The board fined CVS $250,000 and put the store on a minimum three-year probation.
The pharmacy board also ordered the store "must ensure that sufficient personnel are scheduled at all times in order to minimize fatigue, distraction, or other conditions which interfere with a pharmacist's ability to practice with requisite judgment, skill, competence, and safety to the public."
CVS was also ordered to "develop a process for pharmacy staff to communicate requests for additional staff or reports or staffing concerns, which would also be shared with the board, along with additional measures aimed at preventing issues related to staffing.
CVS response
CVS sent us the following statement about its Canton store:
We’re aware of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s decision regarding our Fulton Drive NW pharmacy and will continue to work with the Board collaboratively. The allegations stem from BOP inspections in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’ve made great strides to improve the conditions there in the years since, including putting a strong pharmacy team in place that continues to provide high-quality care to patients. We’re committed to ensuring there are appropriate levels of staffing and resources at our pharmacies.
Inspections
When a pharmacy board inspector showed up at the store on September 13, 2021, she found the store was overwhelmed and understaffed.
She reported that customers could only the drive-through to fill their prescriptions, but some were unable to get through the line prior to the store closing.
The inspector also reported that the phones, air conditioning unit, and cooler storing drugs were not working, along with several issues related to medication storage and hygiene.
During a follow-up call one month later, the inspector reported that the store was so short-staffed, "... the pharmacy was over a month behind in filling prescriptions" and "was "trying to triage lifesaving, life-sustaining medications as well as antibiotics and pain medications."
Similar allegations
A Board of Pharmacy spokesperson said there are currently "22 citations pending against 20 stores in Ohio."
Pharmacy board records show the allegations mirror what an inspector uncovered in the Canton store.
The board will begin hearings related to alleged violations at a Toledo store in March.
"All of those together culminate in a concern of public safety," said David Burke, Executive Director of Ohio Pharmacists Association.
Burke is a former pharmacy owner and served as a state senator.
He said pharmacists do much more than count pills. He said it is crucial they are given appropriate time to counsel patients on drug interactions, side effects and other potential problems.
"It's about being a medication expert and being able to work with physicians and patients to be that last step in a process that if not performed well could cause harm to a patient," he said.
"Just because nothing's happened doesn't mean everything's okay," he said.
