Former pharmacist Anita McQuigg seeks reinstatement after revocation; board probes rehabilitation and huge cost order

An attorney and a pharmacist with more than 30 years of prior service asked a Board of Pharmacy committee on March 12 to reinstate a pharmacist license that was revoked in 2021 after a board finding of falsified records and attempts to subvert an investigation.

Anita Barrisol McQuigg, who testified under oath, told the committee she regrets the actions that led to the disciplinary case and described the personal and financial consequences since the board’s order. The underlying administrative decision sustained allegations that McQuigg provided false documentation to a board inspector after the pharmacist discovered a large shortage of promethazine with codeine during a 2019 inspection and then directed staff to create records to account for the discrepancy.

The administrative law judge who presided over the original matter found the respondent’s testimony to be "pervasively false and misleading," recommended revocation, and the board adopted that recommendation. The board’s decision imposed a cost order totaling $2,125,872.25; McQuigg has paid $200 toward that amount and asked the board to reduce or waive the remainder citing financial hardship.

At the March 12 petition hearing McQuigg said she had taken continuing education, completed ethics training, engaged in counseling after a divorce, and volunteered in community programs. Her counsel, Allen Knight of the Cory Law Firm, argued she has shown remorse and steps toward rehabilitation and said procedural issues during the original disciplinary proceedings warranted consideration of mitigation. Knight also said the client had been represented by counsel that had a conflict with another client (the pharmacy owner) in the underlying matter; he suggested that representation issues affected her defense at the prior hearing and urged the committee to consider that in mitigation.

Deputy Attorney General Nicole Trauma told the committee she had "serious concerns" about reinstatement. Trauma argued McQuigg’s petition packet did not contain independent psychological evaluation findings and said McQuigg’s testimony at the prior hearing and the ALJ’s findings weigh heavily against reinstatement. Trauma said the packet did not sufficiently demonstrate that McQuigg currently met the board’s burden to show she is an honest and reliable practitioner.

Committee members questioned McQuigg about why the falsified prescriptions were created, whether she relied on a technician’s memory, why she entered the records herself, and whether she engaged in follow-up with the board after the event. McQuigg acknowledged responsibility for creating the six prescriptions the ALJ described, said she was trying to account for missing medication, and apologized to the board during questioning.

The record was closed and the matter submitted for deliberation. The committee did not vote at the meeting; a written decision will follow.

Provenance: The petition was heard on the record starting with roll call and the admittance of exhibit 1 (petition packet). The transcript includes the hearing opening and McQuigg's testimony and closing statements.