Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy this week announced that Orono Pharmacy, Inc. and its owner, Ali Aghamoosa, of Orono, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States pursuant to which they will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Controlled…Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy this week announced that Orono Pharmacy, Inc. and its owner, Ali Aghamoosa, of Orono, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States pursuant to which they will pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”).
Controlled substances are strictly regulated in the United States because of their potential for abuse and the danger they pose if improperly used. The CSA establishes a closed system of controls over the handling of controlled substances by registrants, including pharmacies. Violations of the CSA concerning dispensing and administering, distribution, recordkeeping, and other related activities can result in civil penalties.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2014 through 2016, Orono Pharmacy and Aghamoosa negligently failed to make and maintain complete and accurate records of pharmacy transactions concerning the receipt and dispensation of controlled substances. The Government alleged that Orono Pharmacy and Aghamoosa failed to consistently record when, and in what quantities, controlled substances were received and failed to record sales and dispensations from pharmacy inventory. The Government also alleged that thousands of doses of controlled substances were unaccounted for, a pharmacist diverted controlled substances, and another pharmacist falsified records.
Orono Pharmacy and Aghamoosa admitted no wrongdoing in settling the matter and cooperated fully throughout the investigation.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control.
In March 2016, the Maine Board of Pharmacy placed Aghamoosa on probation, after initially, saying he would be suspended for 30 days from practicing as a pharmacist because his actions posed an immediate jeopardy to the health and safety of the public. In a letter from Board President Joseph Bruno to Aghamoosa, Bruno said that Aghamoosa had been disciplined on three prior occasions – in 2007, 2015 and 2016 – for engaging in unprofessional conduct, specifically for failure to maintain effective controls to prevent prescription errors and misfills.
Under terms ofconsent agreement in that instance, Aghamoosa was fined 8,000 and placed on probation for one year; During that time, he also was allowed to practice pharmacy only under the supervision of a peer monitor for a total of at least 1,500 hours.

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