Wealthy Kansas City Pharmacist dilutes Cancer patients IV Chemo drugs!

Everyone here is absolutely disgusted by this individual. We are all wondering now what affect he had on cancer sufferers and are asking 'how long has this been happening???'.

It's absolutely HORRIBLE. This person is a monster. A possible 3 year jail sentence is rediculous and a slap in the face to his victims. I hope he doesn't have a red cent left when the patients and their families are through with him!!!!

GREED, is a nasty individual........

I hope all the suffers/families sue his pants off.

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I would suggest that it be assumed, just as it is when drug dealers assets' are considered, that all of his income and property were derived from illegal activity, and therfore should be siezed by court order.
I think it should be donated then, to local hospices for cancer patients.
Althugh it may be appropiate for him to end up in prison as the wife of the guy with the most cigaretts , I think he should instead be required to assist the nurses in the care of the patients that had given him thier trust, and see what true suffering is all about.

Hi. I saw this on the news last night. I've only got two words to describe the behavior of this pharmacist. Greedy and callous. My prayers are with the patients and families who received the diluted drugs.

I once saw a prosecuter on TV talking about bringing criminal charges against two nurses who had made an honest to goodness medication error that resulted in a death. Maybe these cops and judges should save the criminal prosecutions for individuals that commit crimes like this and let the accidental deaths be handled by the tort laws and state boards.

Profits before Patients......once again.

The first thing I thought of when I heard about this was how hospitals give NM bonuses for coming in under the budget. And the HMOs give MDs bonuses for NOT making referrals or sending their pts for expensive tests & treatments which they may need.

I wondered what incentive this guy's employer was giving him to cut expenses too.

He should be tried for murder.

The plot thickens....

Report: Lilly Worker Suspected Drugs

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Story Filed: Sunday, August 26, 2001 10:11 PM EDT


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- An Eli Lilly and Co. drug salesman had become suspicious and notified his company about cancer drugs handled by a Kansas City pharmacist but they did not contact authorities, The Kansas City Star reported Sunday.

Pharmacist Robert R. Courtney was indicted Thursday on federal charges alleging he diluted expensive cancer drugs so he could pocket the difference in prices.

Lilly salesman Darryl Ashley became suspicious in early 2000, but the newspaper said it wasn't clear when Ashley notified his superiors. Eli Lilly would not provide a date when contacted by The Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for the Indianapolis-based drug maker confirmed that the company did not tell authorities. Judy Moore said the company's own investigation determined that problems with the cancer drug Gemzar did not originate at Lilly's plant.

Moore said Lilly ``acted honorably'' and is cooperating with the FBI's investigation. ``Lilly takes patient safety very, very seriously.''

In May 2001, Ashley talked with Kansas City oncologist Dr. Verda Hunter and that led Hunter to alert federal officials, court records and company officials say.

Federal authorities say at least one patient who received drugs from Courtney has died.

But Michael Ketchmark, an attorney for relatives of Courtney's patients, said he will file nine lawsuits in state court Monday claiming the Indianapolis-based drug maker should have notified authorities and stopped selling Gemzar to Courtney.

In four lawsuits the family members allege that Lilly's silence contributed to a relative's death. In the other five cases the patients are still alive.

All nine lawsuits, which seek unspecified emotional and punitive damages, will also list Courtney and his Kansas City pharmacy as defendants, Ketchmark said.

Courtney, 48, is charged with eight counts of tampering with consumer products, six counts of adulteration of a drug and six counts of misbranding a drug.

Authorities say he saved hundreds of dollars per dose, and was motivated by profit and $600,000 in looming tax bills.

This past May, Ashley told Hunter that he had noticed a discrepancy between the amount of Gemzar that Courtney ordered and the amount he was billing Hunter.

Hunter then ordered tests on medications supplied by Courtney, found the drugs had been diluted and notified federal officials. The FBI's investigation started July 27.

``Eli Lilly knew by its own salesman's admission to the FBI that in early 2000 Robert Courtney was diluting cancer drugs,'' Ketchmark said Sunday.

Court records say Hunter tried to get Lilly to test her samples, but the company didn't respond. Lilly spokesman Jeff Newton said the company had no record of a letter Hunter sent.

Ketchmark said his clients want Lilly to disclose what the company knew and when they knew it.

``What they haven't talked about is the 18-month time period between their salesman's concerns and the investigation,'' he said. ``In that time period, people are receiving diluted drugs.''

Courtney's attorney Jean Paul Bradshaw said Ketchmark was just looking for publicity.

``There's no allegation in the criminal case that anything he did caused a death of any sort,'' Bradshaw said Sunday. ``We haven't pulled out and looked at all the individual medical records, but I do not believe from what I know about the case that there will be any credible cause for a wrongful death.''

The FBI says samples of drugs prepared by Courtney's Research Medical Tower Pharmacy contained generally less than half of the medication prescribed.

Prosecutors have said they have evidence of at least 150 instances of dilution, which could have affected hundreds of patients.

But Bradshaw has said Courtney's dilutions affected only about 30 to 35 patients and that he will plead innocent to the federal charges. Courtney is being held without bond.



Copyright © 2001 Associated Press Information Services, all rights reserved.


This is incredibly sad and I feel for the whistle blower in this case who wasn't afraid to keep on following up on his concerns.

It isn't often that you see medical "care" issues become criminal matters (instead of a civil matter) but this certainly is one time it seems justified.