PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy will pay $300,000 to resolve allegations it failed to keep track of medications in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
After investigating the online pharmacy in 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration said it found PillPack's records didn't accurately reflect its inventory of 10 scheduled substances, including codeine, clonazepam and lorazepam, according to a June 29 news release.
"PillPack's failure to maintain accurate records risked the diversion of drugs that are often abused in our communities," Jane Young, U.S. attorney for the District of New Hampshire, said in the release. "As a pharmacy, they have a responsibility to safeguard these controlled substances, and their penalty for failing to do so serves as a warning to other entities handling medications improperly."
The Justice Department said the claims are only allegations and not determinations of liability.
"PillPack has a longstanding commitment to maintaining a high compliance standard," a company spokesperson emailed Becker's. "We fully cooperated with the U.S. Department of Justice throughout their investigation and took immediate corrective action where necessary. These inventory discrepancies had no impact on customer safety, and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers."