Cardinal Health settles dispute with DEA over Florida distribution center

DUBLIN, Ohio — Cardinal Health on Tuesday announced it had agreed to a settlement with the Drug Enforcement Agency that allows the company to bring resolution to ongoing litigation.



Cardinal Health agreed to a two-year suspension of its Lakeland, Fla., distribution center's DEA registration to ship controlled medicines from this facility and to improve certain anti-diversion procedures. The Lakeland distribution center will remain open, and all other operations at the facility will continue. The DEA also confirmed it is planning no further administrative actions at other Cardinal Health facilities.



"This agreement allows us to put this matter behind us, and just as important, will clear the way for a more productive dialogue about how we and others in the healthcare and regulatory community can work together to prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs," Cardinal Health chairman and CEO George Barrett said.