Pharmacist dispensed M&Ms instead of pain pills

A Utah pharmacist recently pled no contest to charges he filled a fraudulent prescription with M&Ms instead of pain pills, according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Robert Lammle, 53, pled no contest to felony, third-degree charges of falsely obtaining or dispensing a prescription. The plea agreement stipulates that the case against Lammle will be dismissed if he does not break any laws for one year and completes stipulated community service requirements. Prosecutors also dismissed distribution of a controlled substance and misdemeanor theft by extortion charges against Lammle.

According to report, in October 2011, after verifying that a patient’s prescription for 240 oxycodone pills was fraudulent, Lammle sold the woman a bottle of M&Ms for $100. He was working as a pharmacist at Kmart.

When the woman discovered the scam and confronted Lammle, he allegedly told her she’d have to illegally sell pain pills and give him $3,000 or he would report her to the police.

Lammle later told law enforcement officials that he was trying to get the woman to get help for her drug addiction problem.

The state pharmacy board said it is considering action against Lammle now that the criminal case against him has been resolved.