West Virginia veterinarian fined nearly $1M for drug diversion
The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia has ordered a veterinarian to pay nearly $1 million in civil penalties after finding she failed to account for thousands of doses of opioids and other controlled substances, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers entered a default judgment against Dr. Clara Ann Mason, of Winfield, West Virginia, requiring her to pay $956,709—the maximum penalty permitted under federal law. Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the decision in August.
Between March 2018 and July 2023, Dr. Mason ordered substantial amounts of a hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination and oxycodone hydrochloride from a veterinary pharmaceutical wholesale supplier while practicing under a valid West Virginia veterinary license and holding a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration.
In total, Dr. Mason purchased 14,200 dosage units of a hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination at 10/325 mg each, 800 dosage units of oxycodone HCL at 10 mg each, and 600 dosage units of oxycodone HCL at 5 mg each.
Her purchasing patterns raised red flags. From 2021-23, Dr. Mason ordered more hydrocodone-acetaminophen than any other customer of the supplier, and from January 2021 and January 2023, her oxycodone HCL orders represented 74% of all oxycodone HCL sales by the supplier.
On October 11, 2023, investigators executed an administrative inspection warrant at Dr. Mason's practice in Winfield. They reported finding controlled substances stored in unsecured locations across the property.
Dr. Mason was unable to produce dispensing logs, required DEA purchase forms, or federal inventory records during the inspection. She voluntarily surrendered her DEA registration number at that time, according to the DOJ.
DEA agents seized all controlled substances on site. After inventory, investigators determined at least 6,593 dosage units of hydrocodone and oxycodone were unaccounted for, along with other controlled drugs.
"In the days and weeks following the execution of the warrant, Mason provided purported records alleging she dispensed large quantities of opioids to dogs and cats prior to euthanasia. Investigators believe these documents were largely fabricated. Investigators also interviewed several pet owners, and none said they witnessed Mason administering oral medications to their pets," the DOJ press release stated.
The court ultimately found Dr. Mason had failed to secure controlled substances, failed to maintain required records, and attempted to cover those failures with falsified documents.