U.S. reaches $4 million civil settlement, compliance agreement with WVUHS
The West Virginia United Health System, doing business as West Virginia University Health System, has agreed to pay $4,177,139 and entered a memorandum of agreement to resolve civil allegations of Controlled Substances Act violations across various registered facilities over seven years.
Pursuant to a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation, the United States identified that WVUHS committed numerous recordkeeping and reporting violations between 2017 and 2024.
WVUHS facilities failed to notify the DEA regarding thefts or significant losses of controlled substances.
In addition to these failures to report, other violations included errors in orders regarding controlled substances; failures to maintain accurate and current inventory records; failures to ensure proper authority for use of DEA order forms; maintaining policies and procedures not fully consistent with the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act; and other administrative violations.
“The DEA Diversion Investigators who worked this matter should be commended for uncovering failures that put controlled substances at risk of diversion, and their work has undoubtedly made West Virginia a safer place,” said first assistant U.S. attorney Christopher Prezioso. “When a healthcare system controls large quantities of addictive medications, strict compliance with the Controlled Substances Act is necessary to protect the public. This settlement, along with the corresponding Memorandum of Agreement, demands accountability and mandates meaningful reform across WVUHS.”
In addition to the civil monetary settlement, WVUHS has signed a comprehensive, three‑year memorandum of agreement with the DEA, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
The MoA imposes detailed systemwide compliance requirements, including additional diversion oversight; rapid reporting of thefts or losses; installation of hundreds of security cameras at controlled-substance storage sites; enhanced training and auditing procedures; and other policy improvements to detect, investigate, and prevent diversion.
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