Hearing delayed in Bauder Pharmacy missing-drugs case

A state hearing has been delayed on allegations of a massive shortage of narcotics at a landmark Des Moines pharmacy.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy had been scheduled to hear evidence today in the case of Bauder Pharmacy. The hearing has been rescheduled for Aug. 28 to give both sides more time to prepare, said George LaMarca, attorney for the pharmacy and owner Mark Graziano.

The pharmacy board last month filed administrative charges against Graziano and the pharmacy, located at 3802 Ingersoll Ave., in connection with more than 700,000 pain pills that the board said had gone missing. LaMarca said Graziano and other staff members are cooperating with the investigation, and some of the issues have been resolved. While the matter is pending, the store remains open but is not allowed to dispense certain types of addictive drugs, including narcotic painkillers.

LaMarca said his client has not decided whether to ask that the state hearing be closed to the public. No criminal charges have been filed in the matter.

LaMarca said other parties had inquired about possibly purchasing the century-old store even before the controversy erupted last month. He said such inquiries have continued in recent weeks, but the Graziano family continues to run the store as it has for decades. He said only two of more than 4,000 customers have asked that their prescription records be transferred to a different drugstore. Besides its pharmacy business, Bauder is known for its homemade ice cream and its old-school soda fountain.

Tags: Bauder Pharmacy, Mark Graziano

Read the original here:
Hearing delayed in Bauder Pharmacy missing-drugs case