University of Virginia Library

Audit Reveals Cocaine Missing
From University Drug Supply

A state audit has disclosed that over
four pounds of cocaine, valued perhaps at
$75 thousand or more, have disappeared
from the University of Virginia Hospital
since 1969.

The audit, conducted by the State
Board of Pharmacy, revealed that
between June 1969 and June 1971, 67
ounces of cocaine have been lost from the
Hospital's two pharmacies. Other drugs,
such as 492 tablets of Dexedrine and
amphetamine; 219 ampules of dilaudid, a
derivative of morphine; 105 ampules of
Pantopon, a derivative of opium; and 50
ampules of dolophine, a heroin substitute, such
as methadone, were also found to be missing
from the pharmacies.

Sandra Reeves, a spokesman for the hospital,
said that the police do have at least one suspect,
a former pharmacy employee, in the possible
theft of the drugs.

Mr. William A. Smith hospital pharmacist
for 32 years until his retirement this July, felt
that the missing drugs could have been taken by
a hospital employee. In an interview with The
Richmond Times-Dispatch, he said, "All our
drugs were locked up, but people who worked
there knew where the keys were."

"Negligence"

A letter addressed to John F. Harlan from
the State Board of Pharmacy, was made public
on Wednesday. In the letter the hospital
administration was accused of being "severely
negligent" because the pharmacy was not of
adequate size.

The letter also stated that the pharmacy did
not have "adequate drug inventory control and
adequate pharmacists to operate the pharmacy"
and that "the administration of the hospital
could scarcely be unaware of the standardized
requirements for a modern and properly
operated hospital with respect to drug control.

Hospital Vault

Mr. Smith told The Times-Dispatch that
"I've been talking about improvements for
some time, and we got some but not enough."
Mr. Smith said that he had requested a walk-in
vault where the drugs could be stored, but the
hospital administration, "didn't think it was
important or they thought it would cost too
much." Miss Reeves said that a written request
for a walk-in vault was never submitted.

J. B. Carson, secretary of the State Board of
Pharmacy, wrote a letter to Miss Jacqueline
Young, the present pharmacist at the hospital,
in which he recommended a number of changes
in the operation of the pharmacy. First, he said
a vault must be provided for the storage of all
narcotics, amphetamines and barbiturates. An
alarm system must also be installed to protect
all areas where drugs may be stored. These
changes must be completed within 120 days,
according to the recommendation.

Miss Reeves of the hospital said that action
has already been taken to prevent any further
loss of drugs. The parts for a new vault have
been ordered and the vault will be installed
soon. Pharmacists are now on duty 24 hours a
day. Until a few months ago, however, the
pharmacists only worked a limited number of
hours per day. Mr. Smith stated that if all the
Board's recommendations were carried out, he
"didn't think that it would happen again."