News

Rite Aid Corporation Agrees to $5 Million for Controlled Substances Violations

WASHINGTON - The Rite Aid Corporation (Rite Aid) and several of Rite Aid's subsidiaries will pay pay $5 million in a settlement for penalties regarding allegations of violating the Controlled Substances Act. Furthermore, Rite Aid has agreed to comply with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration regarding the compliance of requirements of the CSA and DEA regulations which prevent diversions of controlled substances. Rite Aid is also required to implement a regulatory compliance tracking system for psuedoephedrine and ephedrine - two substances that remain on the DEA's watched substances list for the production and manufacture of methamphetamine.

In a DEA investigation of 53 Rite Aid locations patterns of violations were uncovered revealing illegal activities dating back to 2004. Some of the Rite Aid violations include:

  • Rite Aid knowingly filled prescriptions for controlled substances that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose pursuant to a valid physician-patient relationship in Kentucky and in New York.
  • Rite Aid did not notify the DEA properly regarding significant theft and loss of controlled substances, which allowed the diversion of controlled substances to continue and undermining DEA’s ability to investigate such thefts and/or losses in 22 pharmacies; five in Maryland, four in New York, and thirteen in California.  
  • At pharmacies in California, Pennsylvania and Maryland, Rite Aid either failed to maintain or failed to furnish to the DEA upon request records that are required to be kept under the CSA for a period of two years.
  • At all 53 pharmacies in all eight states, Rite Aid failed to properly execute DEA forms used to ensure that the amount of Schedule II drugs ordered by Rite Aid were actually received.


Additionally, the DEA conducted accountability audits of controlled substances at 25 of the 53 stores investigated to determine whether Rite Aid could properly account for Schedule II and III controlled substances purchased and dispensed. The results of the accountability audits revealed significant shortages or surpluses of the most highly abused drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone products, reflecting a pattern of non-compliance with the requirements of the CSA and federal regulations that lead to the diversion of controlled substances in and around the communities of the Rite Aid pharmacies investigated.