You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Inside the White House pharmacy
The little-known White House pharmacy is under a government watchdog’s microscope, and the picture isn’t pretty. In a searing new report, the inspector general recounts a doctor asking a pharmacy staffer to “hook up” someone with a controlled substance as a “parting gift.” Over-the-counter medicines were available in open bins, while some controlled medicines were dispensed without verifying patients’ identities, Brittany Trang reports.
The report was prompted by 2018 complaints and only covers activity up to 2020 in the obscure pharmacy, technically run by defense department officials. And the inspector general concluded that lax prescribing, dispensing, and health care delivery could have wasted more than $750,000 in taxpayer dollars.
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect