According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Eastern Washington, Christopher M. Valley prescribed drugs deemed to pose a risk of abuse. Valley admitted he was improperly prescribing at least 318 controlled substances.
According to the Attorney’s Office, the investigation started in September of 2020 when pharmacists saw the prescriptions.
Some of the drugs included stimulants such as modafinil, typically designated for narcolepsy and sleep apnea; the sedative pregabalin, sold by Pfizer under the brand name Lyrica; the diet prescription phentermine; the sleep aid zolpidem, usually marketed under the name Ambien; and one prescription for ketamine, an anesthetic.
It was a shared investigation by DEA’s Seattle Field Office, Diversion Group, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
