| Complaint: | Complaint 20-63 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Phalen Smith |
| Premises: | Crossroads Veterinary Hospital |
| Related: | 20-43 |
This is a follow-on from 20-43. In case you've forgotten, when last we joined the crew at Crossroads Veterinary Hospital, the new practice manager there, Davis, had accused McDonough, one of the CVTs there, of diddling with the drug logs. Phalen Smith is the responsible veterinarian for the clinic and so the Board voted to open an investigation against her. We learn from the findings of fact that at least ten people in the clinic had access to controlled substances there. It also appears that Smith said that the previous practice manager, Parks (another CVT), also reported no problems with the drug logs.
Smith's response basically states that one of her veterinarians noticed an empty pill bottle that should not have been empty. After that she found some new entries accounting for hub loss in the controlled drug logs, then started looking through them and found more errors that were very concerning. She says that they all got a sinking feeling in their stomachs thinking that this could be an even bigger deal than the time somebody threw out an entire bottle of hydromorphone. Most of the remainder of the complaint circles around Smith feeling "betrayed, confused, and alarmed" about the entire matter. She blames McDonough and another predecessor, Krista Parks, for not maintaining the records accurately. We also learn that Crossroads Veterinary Hospital is owned by something called Pet Vet Care Centers because they also require them to count up all their drugs every three months.
The Board found no violations but did sent Smith a letter of concern. The complaint against McDonough was dismissed. (I would note that in her response to 20-43, McDonough stated that the clinic's drug log practices needed help for a very long time but that nobody would listen to her.)
| Source: | January 1, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Unknown |
| Roll Call: | |
| Christina Bertch-Mumaw | Absent |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Absent |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | May 5, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Jessica Creager |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Nay |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Nay |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Nay |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Nay |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Failed |
| Source: | May 5, 2020 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Robyn Jaynes |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.