Legal Aspects of Pharmacy Fraud
Trident University
Module 1 SLP
BHM443: Legal Aspects of Health Care
1. Using the Internet and other sources research the following case:
Robert Ray Courtney, a former pharmacist, who owned and operated the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy in Kansas City, Missouri.
2. Provide a detailed account of the key facts surrounding the case. Make sure to include the following: a. Case background b. Biographical description of the defendant and his company
3. Using information from the Internet and other credible sources identify and discuss the criminal and contractual aspects of the case.
He was once a member of one of the most respected and trusted professions in the United States. Robert Courtney was born in Hays, Kansas in 1952 and graduated from Wichita South High School. He then went on to attend and graduate from the School of Pharmacy at University of Missouri–Kansas City in 1975. Mr. Courtney was well respected in the community and by the patients that he served. (Montgomery & Stearns, 2001) That all changed in the summer of 2001 when his desire to maximize profits overshadowed his obligation to the patients and physicians he served. Dr. Verda Hunter, an oncologist that ordered chemotherapy pharmaceuticals from Courtney, discovered that several of the doses that he prepared for her patients were severely diluted. Some of them were diluted to less than one-fourth of their expected potency. Dr. Hunter informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of her findings. More products were ordered from Courtney’s pharmacy and tested by the FDA only to find that the drugs had been severely diluted. This prompted a raid on the pharmacy by federal agents in the middle of August in 2001. (Draper, 2003)
After the raid on the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy, which was owned and operated by Robert Courtney, the investigation revealed that he diluted nearly 100,000 prescriptions, issued through about 400
Module 1 SLP
BHM443: Legal Aspects of Health Care
1. Using the Internet and other sources research the following case:
Robert Ray Courtney, a former pharmacist, who owned and operated the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy in Kansas City, Missouri.
2. Provide a detailed account of the key facts surrounding the case. Make sure to include the following: a. Case background b. Biographical description of the defendant and his company
3. Using information from the Internet and other credible sources identify and discuss the criminal and contractual aspects of the case.
He was once a member of one of the most respected and trusted professions in the United States. Robert Courtney was born in Hays, Kansas in 1952 and graduated from Wichita South High School. He then went on to attend and graduate from the School of Pharmacy at University of Missouri–Kansas City in 1975. Mr. Courtney was well respected in the community and by the patients that he served. (Montgomery & Stearns, 2001) That all changed in the summer of 2001 when his desire to maximize profits overshadowed his obligation to the patients and physicians he served. Dr. Verda Hunter, an oncologist that ordered chemotherapy pharmaceuticals from Courtney, discovered that several of the doses that he prepared for her patients were severely diluted. Some of them were diluted to less than one-fourth of their expected potency. Dr. Hunter informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of her findings. More products were ordered from Courtney’s pharmacy and tested by the FDA only to find that the drugs had been severely diluted. This prompted a raid on the pharmacy by federal agents in the middle of August in 2001. (Draper, 2003)
After the raid on the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy, which was owned and operated by Robert Courtney, the investigation revealed that he diluted nearly 100,000 prescriptions, issued through about 400
References: Montgomery, R., & Stearns, M. (2001, August 15). Pharmacist 's supporters describe compassionate, honorable man. Retrieved on 16 January 2012 from http://www1.law.umkc.edu/suni/CrimLaw/Courtney/courtney.htm Draper, R. (2003, June 08). The toxic pharmacist. The New York Times. Retrieved on 16 January 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/08/magazine/the-toxic-pharmacist.html?pagewanted=8&src=pm Freed, J. (2002, February 11). Thousands of diluted drug doses. Retrieved on 15 January 2012 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/19/national/main506777.shtml Freed, J. (2001, August 16). Pharmacy records examined. Retrieved on 15 January 2012 from http://cjonline.com/stories/081601/usw_pharmacist.shtml (1985). ASHP guidelines: Minimum standards for pharmacies in institutions. American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 42, 372-375. Retrieved 17 January 2012 from http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/BestPractices/DistribStRxResp.aspx National briefing midwest: Missouri. (2002, October 8). The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/08/us/national-briefing-midwest-missouri-drug-watering-suits-settlement.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm