[Pharmwaste] Northfield owner arrested

Gressitt, Stevan Stevan.Gressitt at maine.gov
Fri Jun 19 12:17:30 EDT 2009


I just had another conversation yesterday with a pharmacist who who
blithely told me he knew what he was doing with his take back was
probably against the law but "so what I'm doing the right thing." 

It was so "in my ear" that I just decided not to even comment.

There is a very very very long way to go yet.



Stevan Gressitt, M.D., Medical Director
Office of Adult Mental Health Services
Department of Health and Human Services
Marquardt Building, 2nd Floor
11 State House Station
32 Blossom Lane
Augusta, ME  04333-0011
Ph: (207)287-4273
Fax: (207)287-1022
Cell Phone: (207) 441-0291
E-Mail : stevan.gressitt at maine.gov
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mh/
 
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-----Original Message-----
From: Volkman, Jennifer [mailto:Jennifer.Volkman at state.mn.us] 
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 12:04 PM
To: Gilliam, Allen; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Cc: Alvin Simmons; Gressitt, Stevan; mirelesmc at earthlink.net
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Northfield owner arrested

We had a "reputable" reverse distributor here in MN that told a pharmacy
they'd take everything from their household pharm collection and manage
it for free as a value added service.  Well, we know none of those
pharms can be redistributed and a portion of them will be hazardous and
a portion will be controlled substances.  I was disappointed at their
lack of knowledge of the HW and DEA regulations.  The pharmacist is one
I've worked with over the past few years and knew the regulatory issues
and that the deal sounded too good to be true. She called and we
clarified that the reverse distributor could not do that, but other
pharmacists that are pretty comfortable with their RDs might not see a
red flag here.  I think there is plenty of work that needs to be done to
ensure that RDs understand the regulatory issues so they don't end up
getting fined for acting as unpermitted RCRA transporters or facilities.
It is definitely something to go over with those who are doing HH pharm
collection in your states, we don't want this issue to cut us off at the
knees as Allen notes.  
 
Another RD we looked at was doing the same basic thing--taking all,
sorting and sewering what couldn't be legitimately redistributed.  They
are doing a much better job now with some technical assistance.  I'm not
sure how these entities are licensed, maybe through the state pharmacy
board?  I'm going to check on that to see if we can get them some
guidance because as far as I know we're 0 for 3 with these operations in
MN.

________________________________

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us on behalf of Gilliam,
Allen
Sent: Fri 6/19/2009 7:08 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Cc: Alvin Simmons; Gressitt, Stevan; mirelesmc at earthlink.net
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Northfield owner arrested



I've heard this is not uncommon even at some of the pharmacies who are
participating in a customer "take-back" program.  Many more stories like
this come out, the DEA's gonna put a tight plug on the legit programs, I
fear.

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Jennifer
Crittenden
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 11:57 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Northfield owner arrested


Owner of Northfield drug disposal service now facing charges

Link:
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/45486592.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUgOa
hccyiUiacyKUnciatkEP7DhUs

The owner of a Northfield company that collects outdated, recalled or
excess pharmaceuticals has been indicted in federal court for allegedly
diverting prescription drugs for sale on the street.

Mark Andrew Goetz, 40, of Prior Lake, was charged Tuesday with illegally
distributing Xanax and OxyContin this year. The transactions, both
during sting operations, involved more than 1,600 tablets, the
indictment alleges.

Goetz owns Pharmaceutical Returns, a reverse distributor of controlled
substances that is authorized by the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to collect the drugs and return them to the
companies for credit or destroy them at approved incinerators.

According to the indictment:

In January, members of the Metro Gang Strike Task Force learned that
Goetz was redirecting controlled substances to his drug customers just
before or shortly after scheduled destructions. Officers set up a sting
on Jan. 10 at Goetz's home involving 99 tablets of Xanax, an
anti-anxiety drug. A second "controlled purchase" of 1,274 tablets of
OxyContin, a painkiller, and 245 tablets of Xanax was conducted by the
DEA and the task force on May 6 in a south Minneapolis apartment parking
lot.

Goetz was stopped as he was leaving the parking lot; officers seized a
small amount of a controlled substance and a laptop computer.



Jennifer Crittenden, M.S.W.
Research Associate
UMaine Center on Aging
327 Camden Hall
25 Texas Ave.
Bangor, Maine 04401-4324
Telephone: 207-262-7923
Fax: 207-262-7921
E-mail:Jennifer.Crittenden at umit.maine.edu

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