Fake pharmacist handled 700,000 prescriptions at Walgreens

An individual who signed off on or dispensed more than 745,000 prescriptions over roughly a decade at three Walgreens stores in the Bay Area was not a licensed pharmacist, The LA Times reported.

Kim T. Le, who posed as a licensed pharmacist for years, was discovered during a routine inspection that revealed other compliance issues at a Walgreens pharmacy, including some necessary information on prescriptions. State officials “zeroed in” on Le during the inspection, as she dispensed and reviewed many of the prescriptions, according to the LA Times.

Investigators found she was using a license number under a person with the same name, but who did not work at Walgreens. They later learned she had a pharmacist technician license that had expired in 2008.

Of the prescriptions she oversaw or dispensed, more than 100,000 were for controlled substances such as sedatives used to treat anxiety and panic disorder.

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Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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