not a [manufacturer].
They can follow up
each month with a
roster of actual
patients and we can
backfill. If we just sell
drugs we are a [manu-
facturer]."
According to the
indictment, NECC's
solution was to fill in
phony names. For patients in a facility in San Marcos, Texas, NECC
used "Big Baby Jesus, Hugh Jass, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae." For a
facility in Lincoln, Neb.: "Lisa Kudrow, David Spade, Matthew Perry,
Roy Rogers, Alec Baldwin, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Robert
Redford and Freddie Mercury." For one in Elkhart, Indiana: "L.L.
Bean, Filet-O-Fish, Rug Doctor and Squeaky Wheel."
In 2011, an MSM sales representative e-mailed Mr. Cadden: "Current
customer since 05' [sic] ordering $7,200 a month in methylpred-
nisolone. They refuse to provide names and have not since they began
ordering with us. ... Is it ok to process without names?" Mr. Cadden's
reply: "Yes. ... OK."
According to the indictment, the company found it could use
expired raw compounds and just falsify the expiration dates for the
log. In December 2011, Mr. Cadden e-mailed supervisory pharmacist
Glenn Chin to find out how much methotrexate was on hand. The
answer: 1.25 kilograms, but it had expired 4 years ago. No problem.
Mr. Chin explained that he would add less fluid to the powder to
make up for the lack of potency.
The required autoclaving time for each batch of drugs was a mini-
J U L Y 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 5 7
• ARRESTED Glenn Chin, former supervisory pharmacist at the New England Compounding Center, departs federal court
in Boston. He was among 14 people from the pharmaceutical company who were arrested.
AP
Photo/Steven
Senne
