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Pharmacist's drug-tampering charge causes concern among cancer patients

By JULIUS A. KARASH - The Kansas City Star
Date: 08/15/01 22:15

Hundreds of cancer patients, frightened that they might have received diluted chemotherapies, called a hot line and medical groups Wednesday with questions about their treatments.

The 150 persons who called an FBI hot line by 4:15 p.m. sounded "anxious and concerned about their medical condition," said FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza.

The calls came as news spread around the country that a Kansas City pharmacist, Robert R. Courtney, had been charged Tuesday with one felony count of misbranding and adulteration of a drug.

The FBI is seeking calls to the hot line from patients and physicians who have had prescriptions of Taxol or Gemzar that were filled by Research Medical Tower Pharmacy at 6420 Prospect Ave.

The FBI hot line at (816) 421-8639 asks callers to leave their names, contact numbers and a short message, and says they will be contacted as soon as possible.

Lanza said it was too early to say how many patients may have received improper dosages of the two drugs, but that it could have been hundreds.

"We don't know how far back it could possibly go," he said.

That question preyed on the minds of area residents such as Liane Lance on Wednesday. Lance, a 44-year-old vice president at Cerner Corp., said she received chemotherapy drugs through Courtney when she battled breast cancer years ago.

Lance said she did not take Taxol or Gemzar but is concerned nonetheless.

"I am angry," said Lance, who lives near Courtney in an upscale Northland neighborhood. "As a cancer survivor, I feel betrayed. He was the one who mixed my chemo drugs seven years ago. I have no way of knowing whether he gave me the right dose."

Lee's Summit resident Reggie Middlebrook, whose mother took Taxol and died of breast cancer in November 1999, was shocked and angry when he heard about the allegations against Courtney.

"How could it happen?" he said. "Why would a person do it? How can this be prevented?"

Taxol is used to treat advanced ovarian or breast cancer. It also is used to treat lung cancer and an AIDS-related cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma. Gemzar is used to treat pancreatic cancer and some types of lung cancer.

Health Midwest said Wednesday that it had received many calls about drugs used for chemotherapy treatments at Research Medical Center, which is located near Courtney's pharmacy.

"It is important for cancer patients treated on either an inpatient or outpatient basis at Research Medical Center to know that the drugs they receive are obtained from the hospital's own pharmacy, and not from the Research Medical Tower Pharmacy," the health system said.

Health Midwest said all drugs provided by the Research Medical Center pharmacy pass through detailed quality and accuracy checks, with two pharmacists verifying the dosage of all chemotherapy drugs.

The health system said any patients who have questions or concerns about their treatments should contact their physician or the FBI hot line.

More than 100 calls also were received Wednesday by Kansas City Oncology and Hematology Group, one of the largest cancer practice groups in the Kansas City area.

John Hennessy, executive director of the group, said practitioners at the group's clinics always mix their own chemotherapy drugs.

"We purchase the drug in sealed boxes from a wholesaler and place them in locked inventory," Hennessy said. "When the physician orders the drug, the pharmacy technician or pharmacist mixes the drug in our office."

To reach Julius A. Karash, health-care reporter, call (816) 234-7728 or send e-mail to jkarash@kcstar.com.