Philip Yen, MD has agreed to pay the United States $125,000 to resolve allegations that he failed to comply with federal statutory requirements related to his role as the Drug Enforcement Administration registrant at Sutter Imaging Capitol Pavilion. Dr. Yen is a radiologist employed by Sutter Medical Group. From 2018 to 2024, he was the DEA registrant at Capitol Pavilion, which is next to Sutter Medical Center, in Sacramento. As the registrant, Dr. Yen was required by the Controlled Substances Act to keep detailed records related to Capitol Pavilion’s receipt and dispensing of controlled substances, to ensure that controlled substances including opioids and other addictive and dangerous drugs were maintained, recorded, and documented properly in order to prevent their diversion.
An inspection conducted in 2022 of controlled substance records at Capitol Pavilion identified multiple recordkeeping violations at the facility. Other evidence developed that Dr. Yen was not adequately trained regarding the role and responsibilities of a DEA registrant, and that Sutter staff was aware of the risk of diversion of controlled substances from Capitol Pavilion. In addition to paying civil monetary penalties, Dr. Yen has agreed to complete comprehensive training on his obligations under the CSA as a registrant, including recordkeeping requirements and effective controls against theft and diversion.