Audit: Millions wasted by Mich. Dept. of Corrections on drugs for prisoners

3-12-2011 Michigan:

Lansing — A new audit says there are millions of dollars in waste in the way the Michigan Department of Corrections supplies drugs to prisoners.

The report by Michigan Auditor General Thomas McTavish released today found the department lacked proper procedures to control costs, minimize waste, keep track of inventory and return unused medications for refunds.


It also didn't require prisoners with money to pay for over-the-counter medications from the prison store, as it should have, the audit found.

The report said the department wasted between $852,000 and $8.5 million a year by not controlling the prescriptions of "high-cost atypical antipsychotic medications," which it said are prescribed in Michigan prisons at levels that "far exceed the levels reported for prison populations in other states."

The audit covered the period from Oct. 1, 2007, through July 31, 2010.

It says the department spent $98.4 million on prisoner pharmaceuticals during that period.

The report contains 16 recommendations. In a response, the department said it agreed with 14 recommendations and partly agreed with two.

Russ Marlan, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said acting Director Richard McKeon has ordered an internal affairs investigation to determine if department staff failed to follow procedures.

McKeon also has told his officials to develop an action plan for addressing issues raised in the audit and will meet with those officials every two weeks to assess the plan's progress, Marlan said. ..Source.. Paul Egan / Detroit News Lansing Bureau