Business Cycle: Pharmacy board’s fine was relatively large

The $75,000 fine levied against a Salem CVS drugstore in May was one of the five largest financial penalties given by the Virginia Board of Pharmacy during the past five years, the agency said.

Regulators sanctioned the Salem drugs outlet based on findings of a dozen violations. They included that it failed to safeguard drug supplies, was understaffed and made prescription errors in 2021 and 2022. CVS did not admit or deny the findings. It said that all issues had been rectified.

The board issued its largest fine in recent years of $346,250 against a Virginia Beach CVS in 2022. The store was found to have committed numerous medication-dispensing errors attributable to severe understaffing. It has appealed the penalty to court, board spokeswoman Kelly Smith said.

The other largest, recent fines totaled $100,000 against Pharmacy Services America in Rocky Mount in 2021; $100,000 against the pharmacy at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in 2021; and $50,000 against Landsdowne Pharmacy in Loudon County in 2020, state officials said.