A former pharmacist for Dan's Food Stores has filed a 3rd District Court lawsuit saying he was wrongfully terminated for refusing to fill the controlled-substance prescription of a woman going by two different names who used five different doctors to gain access to the drug.
James Ryan names Sandy resident Debra Hall, a.k.a. Debra Scott, as a defendant in addition to Dan's.The $1.5 million suit, filed Monday, alleges that Hall used her influence with Dan's owner Ted D. Gar-din-er - also a defendant - to see that Ryan was fired from his post at the company's store at 7000 South and Highland Drive after he refused in April to fill a prescription for the woman.
In his suit, Ryan says he was required by law to check pharmacy records when Hall presented him with her prescription for a drug that is not mentioned by name in the lawsuit.
"Plaintiff determined that this customer had filled prescriptions for this controlled substance with prescriptions using two different names, i.e., Debra Hall and Debra Scott. Upon a further check of other pharmacies in the area, the plaintiff discovered that the customer had used five other doctors for the same prescription," says the suit.
According to allegations in public documents, the woman subsequently called Ryan and said, "You will be fired."
Ryan's suit says he was terminated that day for alleged rudeness to customers and refusal to fill prescriptions.
It also says Ryan was employed for three years at the store during a time in which he received high praise from management, including kudos for his role in being "instrumental in the arrest and conviction for fraudulent prescriptions of over 20 individuals and received numerous commendations for assisting the local police departments in reducing controlled substance violations in the Sandy area."
It asks for $547,200 in actual damages and $1 million in punitive damages.