The pharmacy at the White House during the Trump administration violated federal regulations by distributing prescription medications, including stimulants and sedatives, to ineligible personnel without maintaining proper records, according to a comprehensive government report released this month.
The Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General identified “severe and systemic problems” across all aspects of the White House Medical Unit’s pharmacy operations.
The 80-page report revealed a lack of documentation for activities at the White House Clinic, with no written or recorded records for patient visits or medication dispensing, unless it involved controlled substances, which required mandatory documentation for the pharmacy.
Even in cases involving controlled substances, which are drugs with the potential for abuse and physical dependence, the White House Medical Unit issued prescriptions that frequently lacked the mandated medical provider and patient information specified by Drug Enforcement Agency policy.
White House Pharmacy Prefers Costly Brands, Breaks Rules
As outlined in the inspector general’s report, a requisition form highlighted that the White House pharmacy consistently ordered medications in substantial quantities.
Notably, the pharmacy frequently opted for brand name drugs, a practice contrary to regulations that mandate pharmacies to stock more economical generic equivalents.
Within the timeframe spanning 2017 to 2019, the White House Medical Unit incurred an estimated expenditure of $46,500 on brand name Ambien, a cost 174 times higher than its generic counterpart.
Concurrently, over the same three-year duration, the unit allocated approximately $98,000 for brand name Provigil, a cost 55 times greater than the generic equivalent.
The oversight agency concluded that the White House pharmacy personnel operated with minimal to no supervision, and their prescription practices posed potential risks to the health and safety of patients.
Witness: Drugs Pre-Packaged for President’s Clinic
A witness elucidated to investigators that, as part of their responsibilities in the clinic designated for the President, they were tasked with pre-packaging controlled drugs in zip-lock bags in anticipation of overseas trips.
These pre-packaged drugs were regularly retrieved by aides to senior officials, thereby contravening military guidance.
The inquiry revealed that the White House Medical Unit engaged in a practice termed as “health care by proxy,” wherein “free medical care” was extended to ineligible White House staff.
This practice included the improper dispensing of controlled drugs to ineligible personnel, thus violating both Federal law, regulations, and Department of Defense (DoD) policy.
According to the report, approximately 6,000 individuals, comprising White House employees, contractors, and government personnel, received “health care by proxy” at the White House clinics.
In contrast, the White House Medical Unit, designed to specifically address the healthcare needs of the “highest of Presidential appointees,” enrolled only around 60 patients, emphasizing a significant discrepancy in the intended scope and recipients of medical services.