STOREFRONT CLINICS: Santa Ana Police Begin Spot Checks
"Spurred by the death of a 13-month-old treated by a man who allegedly posed as a doctor, Santa Ana police, along with the state medical board and federal investigators, conducted the first in a series of random checks on medical clinics this week," the Los Angeles Times reports. The team of investigators included federal agents from the Food and Drug Administration and the Drug Enforcement Agency who were checking to see if "drugs were being used and stored properly." The checks found six clinics in compliance, one that was empty and "one ... possible minor violation for improper drug storage." According to Sgt. Steve Despenas, "[t]he team of investigators plans to do checks weekly." He "estimates there are 20 to 30 clinics in Santa Ana." He said, "Everyone was very cooperative. We're not going there with the assumption of charging someone. These are just professional inspections" (Tran, 5/21).
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