Makayla Grivalja | 6/24/2021 | Albuquerque Journal
PERALTA – A pharmacy in Valencia County can no longer fill prescriptions after inspections found more than 20,000 doses of opioids unaccounted for.
The state Board of Pharmacy reached an agreement with Joe’s Pharmacy, owner Michael Leon Otero and pharmacist-in-charge Shirley Jojola on May 26. The settlement comes after federal Drug Enforcement Agency inspections in 2018 and 2019 found “substantial deficiencies” in the pharmacy’s operations, including the unaccounted for doses of various opioids.
The state pharmacy licensing board accepted the surrender of Otero’s board-issued licenses last month.
The settlement agreement required Otero to surrender his licenses after the completion of the proper disposition of all “dangerous drugs and prescription products” at the pharmacy. Otero’s licensure as a pharmacy technician was used for the 30 days the board gave the pharmacy for disposal of prescription products in its possession.