Cardinal Health Receives DEA Order to Temporarily Cease Distribution of Controlled Substances from Auburn, Wash. Facility

DUBLIN, Ohio, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardinal Health today announced that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will temporarily suspend its license to distribute controlled substances from its Auburn, Wash. distribution center effective Dec. 3 .

The company said the suspension affects only the Washington facility and only controlled substance shipments from that facility. Steps are being taken to ensure continuity of service to its customers.

In an order received today, the DEA said Cardinal Health "failed to maintain effective controls against the diversion of a particular controlled substance," and cites the sale of hydrocodone to one pharmacy that allegedly dispensed excessive amounts of the drug based on illegitimate prescriptions from Internet pharmacy web sites.

Cardinal Health said the security of the pharmaceutical supply chain is among its highest priorities, and it will cooperate fully with the DEA to resolve the suspension.

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 http://www.cardinalhealth.com.

SOURCE Cardinal Health , Inc.