Cardinal Health to Cease Distribution of Controlled Substances from Florida Facility

DUBLIN, Ohio, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardinal Health today announced that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has suspended its license to distribute controlled substances from its Lakeland, Fla. distribution center, effective Dec. 10 .

To ensure continuity of service, the company is making arrangements to distribute controlled substances to affected customers from other facilities within its network of 25 pharmaceutical distribution centers.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer R. Kerry Clark said: "Anything less than best-in-class controls for the pharmaceutical supply chain is unacceptable. We will do what it takes to address this execution issue with changes to our processes and systems. The security of the pharmaceutical supply chain is core to our business and we are committed to the highest standards as we work with the DEA to resolve this matter."

Cardinal Health has been reviewing its controlled substance procedures, and as a result is implementing near- and long-term enhancements that further guard against distribution to pharmacies engaged in diversion.

About Cardinal Health

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health , Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is an $87 billion, global company serving the health care industry with products and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better care to patients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient, reducing hospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful medication errors, Cardinal Health develops market leading technologies, including Alaris(R) IV pumps, Pyxis(R) automated dispensing systems, MedMined(TM) infection surveillance services and the CareFusion(TM) patient identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies worldwide. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 and No. 1 in its sector on Fortune's ranking of Most Admired firms, Cardinal Health employs more than 40,000 people on five continents. More information about the company may be found at www.cardinalhealth.com.

SOURCE Cardinal Health , Inc.