Temple University Health System has agreed to pay $130,000 in penalties following a six-year investigation into the health system's drug-tracking procedures by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration and a U.S. Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania, according to a Temple News report.
TUHS, which includes Temple University Hospital, Temple Physicians Inc., Temple Transport Team and Jeanes Hospital, will pay the penalties following the discovery that physicians were stealing narcotics from various facilities since 2004. The investigation sparked that year when the then-chief resident of anesthesiology at TUH was found stealing ketamine, midazolam, fentanyl and morphine. The resident was later caught attempting to sell the drugs to an undercover DEA officer, according to the report.
After this 2004 incident, another anesthesiologist from Jeans Hospital was discovered to have taken fentanyl and morphine for his own personal use, according to the report.
In addition to paying the monetary penalties, TUHS has implemented a Compliance Assessment Plan to better track the facilities' controlled substances. The plan calls for frequent counting of inventory and more stringent measures for accessing drugs, according to the report.
Read the Temple News report about Temple University Health System's settlement.
Read other coverage about hospital settlements:
- Maryland's St. Joseph Medical Center to Pay $22M to Settle False Claims, Kickback Allegations
- Simi Valley Hospital Settles Medicare Fraud Lawsuit, Agrees to Pay $5.15M
- Catholic Healthcare West Pays $275K to Resolve Discrimination Allegations
TUHS, which includes Temple University Hospital, Temple Physicians Inc., Temple Transport Team and Jeanes Hospital, will pay the penalties following the discovery that physicians were stealing narcotics from various facilities since 2004. The investigation sparked that year when the then-chief resident of anesthesiology at TUH was found stealing ketamine, midazolam, fentanyl and morphine. The resident was later caught attempting to sell the drugs to an undercover DEA officer, according to the report.
After this 2004 incident, another anesthesiologist from Jeans Hospital was discovered to have taken fentanyl and morphine for his own personal use, according to the report.
In addition to paying the monetary penalties, TUHS has implemented a Compliance Assessment Plan to better track the facilities' controlled substances. The plan calls for frequent counting of inventory and more stringent measures for accessing drugs, according to the report.
Read the Temple News report about Temple University Health System's settlement.
Read other coverage about hospital settlements:
- Maryland's St. Joseph Medical Center to Pay $22M to Settle False Claims, Kickback Allegations
- Simi Valley Hospital Settles Medicare Fraud Lawsuit, Agrees to Pay $5.15M
- Catholic Healthcare West Pays $275K to Resolve Discrimination Allegations