A Houston pharmacy and its owners are facing a civil complaint for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The complaint, filed yesterday, names Nnwood Pharmacy and owners Cheryl Brew Greenleaf and Wendell Kirk Greenleaf. It seeks monetary penalties for allegedly dispensing fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substances, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
Nnwood Pharmacy, which began operations in 2007, was registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense Schedule II through V controlled substances. However, investigators found irregularities in prescriptions for hydrocodone (Schedule II) and carisoprodol (Schedule IV), which were issued by physicians located far from the pharmacy and were often written by obstetrics and gynecology specialists for male patients.
An administrative inspection conducted on July 16, 2021, revealed that the pharmacy had filled 99 questionable prescriptions. These prescriptions were for controlled substances across multiple schedules and were allegedly linked to invalid DEA registration numbers. The complaint also states that Nnwood and its owners failed to maintain required records and reports, as mandated by the Controlled Substances Act and DEA regulations.
U.S. Attorney Ganjei stated that the law ensures controlled substances are dispensed safely and legitimately, while Assistant Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell emphasized that pharmacies must have safeguards in place to prevent misuse. The DEA had previously investigated Nnwood Pharmacy in 2007. The current case is being handled by U.S. Attorney Jill O. Venezia in the Southern District of Texas.
