The Edmond Sun

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October 8, 2008

Board suspends Edmond pharmacist

Owner accused of seeing patients in place of a doctor

Mark Schlachtenhaufen

EDMOND — A state board has suspended the license of an Edmond pharmacist who filled prescription drugs without proper authorization.

The Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy has suspended until Dec. 15 the pharmacy license of Sherry Ross, owner of Sherry’s Drug, 220 S. Littler Ave., according to board records. Ross also was fined a total of $5,500.

During the time Ross’ license is suspended, the board said Ross may not practice pharmacy, including consulting with patients, and Ross may not be present at Sherry’s Drug. Ross will be on probation from Dec. 15 through Aug. 10, 2013.

The board found that Ross was possessing “dangerous drugs” without a valid prescription, and that she dispensed the drugs to patients who did not have a valid patient-doctor relationship. Ross also failed to ensure that the prescription had been issued for a “legitimate medical purpose by an authorized practitioner” and that she submitted “fraudulent” billing reports, according to the board.

A message left for Ross at Sherry’s Drug on Wednesday was not immediately returned.

Pharmacy board compliance officer Gary LaRue said under state rules, patients must have a relationship with a doctor in order to get prescription drugs. Normally, patients take a prescription written by a doctor to the pharmacy to get it filled.

Ross was working with patients who were unhappy with their doctors to obtain their hormone replacement medication, LaRue said. Ross would dispense medication to patients without the patients ever seeing a doctor, he said.

“Ross was more or less acting as their doctor,” LaRue said.

LaRue said he thinks Ross is a “good” pharmacist, very knowledgeable about what she does and good with patients, but she must abide by the rules.

LaRue said the board became aware of Ross’ violations after it reprimanded Dr. Paul Edmonds, an obstetrician-gynecologist. LaRue said Edmonds had an agreement with Ross involving seeing patients, and he was not seeing them.

“That was the problem,” LaRue said.

This was not Ross’ first reprimand by the board.

In February 2005, Ross was cited for 11 counts that included improper substitution on a compounded prescription, record-keeping violations and filling prescriptions before having a written prescription.

Under an agreed-upon order, Ross was fined and placed on probation.

Ross also was listed in board minutes in April 2005 and in July 2005.



marks@edmondsun.com |

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