White House Medical Unit Misused Drugs and Funds, Investigation Finds

The Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General report reveals severe and systemic problems in the White House Medical Unit's operations, including inadequate record-keeping and misuse of taxpayer funds.

An investigation by the Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General found that the White House Medical Unit, which operates a pharmacy, distributed prescription and non-prescription drugs, including controlled substances, without adequate record-keeping and sometimes to people who weren’t legally eligible to receive them.
The report also found that the clinic misused taxpayer funds by dispensing brand-name drugs instead of less expensive generics and providing free medical care to staff who weren’t allowed to get it.
The investigation was based on reviews of records from the White House Medical Unit, including prescriptions, from between 2017 and 2019, and interviews with more than 120 officials.
Among the issues uncovered were that medication was often dispensed without any written records, and controlled substances were given to patients’ representatives without the need to present the patient’s ID card.
The report makes several recommendations, including developing policies and procedures for the White House Medical Unit to better manage medications, developing a pharmaceutical oversight plan, and developing controls for patient eligibility in the Military Health System.