Pharmacy technician steals pills, loses certification

TONASKET A Tonasket pharmacy technician has lost her certification after taking 2,000 oxycodone pills from a Tonasket pharmacy in 2010, the state Department of Health announced Friday.

Kelly J. Anderson, 24, had her credential to practice as a pharmacy technician suspended indefinitely in January when she didnt respond to a state Pharmacy Boards charges that she took the pills from Roys Pharmacy, where she had worked since 2007, the Pharmacy Boards Jan. 27 order states.

According to the charges:

A pharmacist at Roys noticed in June 2010 that a bottle of oxycodone was missing, and confronted Anderson. She admitted that she took the pills for herself, and for a cousin and boyfriend. She returned four bottles of the drugs that were in her purse.

An inventory later determined that 20 bottles, each with 100 pills of oxycodone ranging in strength from 5 to 30 milligrams, were missing.

The incident was reported to police, but after the pharmacy fired her, they opted not to pursue criminal charges, said Tonasket Police Chief Robert Burks.

Its not unusual for this kind of case to go without a criminal charge, said state Department of Health spokeswoman Kate Lynch.

It may be that the board determined that, because its obviously a substance abuse issue, it wouldnt be in anybodys best interest to file charges, she said.

Lynch said that the board recognizes substance abuse as a disease.

For Anderson to work again as a pharmacy technician, she will have to show she successfully completed a substance abuse treatment program, Lynch said.

See the original post:
Pharmacy technician steals pills, loses certification