The Iowa Board of Pharmacy regulates the profession and imposes disciplinary action against licensed pharmacists. (Photo by Clark Kauffman/Iowa Capital Dispatch; board seal courtesy State of Iowa)
The Iowa Board of Pharmacy has sanctioned several Iowa pharmacists for medication-dispensing errors and other alleged regulatory violations.
One of the cases pertains Cedar Rapids pharmacist Thomas Kelly, who in December signed an agreement with the board in which he agreed to refrain from practicing pharmacy “to meet the board’s interest in protecting the public.”
The reasons for that agreement are not disclosed in the document, although it states that Kelly is “currently unable to practice” pursuant to Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 657-36.6(4). That section of the code deals specifically with “habitual intoxication or addiction to the use of drugs.”
The agreement indicates it was approved by the board on Jan. 7, 2024, although that appears to be in error, with the correct date of approval being Jan. 7, 2025.
Other recent Board of Pharmacy actions – all of which appear to be incorrectly dated Jan. 7, 2024 — include:
Ryan Habeger of Algona – The board alleges that in May 2023, it conducted an in-depth inspection of KRHC Family Pharmacy, where Habeger worked, to evaluate its “accountability measures” for the handling of controlled substances. Later, the board states, Habeger agreed to implement certain corrective measures. However, a July 2024 follow-up inspection revealed no such measures had been implemented.
As a result, Habeger and the board recently agreed to a settlement that indicates he has been issued a citation and warning and agreed to have his license placed on some form of “probation” for an undefined period of time, although the conditions of that probation are not enumerated. The agreement also includes conflicting information as to how much continuing education Habeger is required to complete, describing it as “five (2) hours of board-approved continuing education” on accountability measures.
In a related matter, KRHC Family Pharmacy has agreed to pay a $5,000 civil penalty and have its license placed on probation for five years, during which time it must produce quarterly reports for the board.
Lisa Freese of Cedar Rapids – The board alleges that on April 5, 2024, Freese dispensed the incorrect medication to a patient due to “name confusion” and that she failed to use other patient identifiers. The patient ingested the medication, the board alleges, and “suffered adverse effects.” Freese has been issued a citation and warning and ordered to complete an unstated number of hours of educational training related to patient safety.
Eric Arthur Smith of Farm & Family Veterinary Clinics in Victor, Brooklyn and Montezuma – The board alleges that Smith, during the undisclosed “time period relevant to these allegations,” dispensed controlled substances to a kennel operator without documentation or receipts. Smith is also alleged to have improperly dispensed controlled substances to kennels that lacked the required Controlled Substances Act registrations.
Smith was charged with four regulatory violations: distribution of drugs for other than lawful purposes; failure to “include the requirements necessary” for a controlled substance prescription; failure to maintain controlled-substance dispensing records as required by law; and failure to maintain ultimate accountability of controlled substances and records.
Smith has agreed to pay a $1,000 civil penalty and to have his license placed on probation for two years, during which time he will be required to undergo quarterly and random audits and inspections.
Thomas Vander Linden of Fairfield – The board alleges Vander Linden failed to report the suspected diversion of medications by pharmacist Bryan Vander Linden. He has agreed to pay a $500 civil penalty and accept a citation and warning from the board.
Kelly Ferris, Sioux City – The board alleges that while working in Sioux City, Ferris failed to verify the correct medication was dispensed to a patient. The board’s public documents give no indication as to whether the patient was harmed. Ferris has agreed to a settlement that calls for a citation and warning and a civil penalty of $500.
Jeanne Adams of Independence – The board alleges that on Feb. 17, 2024, Adams reviewed and then labeled a prescription for methotrexate intended for a patient who was a minor and that she did so without recognizing the prescription had been “dispensed with the incorrect strength.” The available board documents give no indication as to whether the patient was harmed. Adams has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,000 and to complete five hours of educational training on “patient counseling.”