KC pharmacist Robert Courtney who diluted drugs is released from prison, provoking anger
A Kansas City pharmacist convicted of diluting prescription drugs has been released to community confinement, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed.
Robert Courtney was convicted of diluting patients’ medications to treat cancer, AIDS and more. Authorities estimated that his scheme could have affected 4,200 patients’ care.
The 71-year-old was sentenced in federal court in December 2002 to a maximum of 30 years, according to court records.
“Robert Courtney belongs in prison and should have served the remainder of his 30 year sentence. This is a sad day for all of his victims,” said attorney Michael Ketchmark, who represented 275 families in wrongful death lawsuits against Courtney.
According to an April notification sent to victims and their families, Courtney was to be released June 20 to a halfway house in Springfield. That was delayed to July 31.
He was released from the federal prison in Littleton, Colorado, and will remain under home confinement or at a halfway house until May 2, 2026, the BOP said. The agency wouldn’t confirm his precise location, citing privacy concerns.
Judy Drigans was one of Courtney’s many patients who received diluted chemotherapy drugs. She died at age 48 in 2004, leaving behind two children and her husband Jeff Drigans.
In a phone interview Thursday, Jeff Drigans said he was disappointed Courtney had been transferred from prison. His grandchildren never got to meet their grandmother, he said. In a previous email, Drigans wrote that Courtney’s “greed was unforgivable and if I had my way, he would have remained in prison for the full 30 years until 2031.”
During an investigation that began in mid-2001, Courtney admitted to diluting 72 different medications over nearly a decade. Most were cancer treatment drugs, but others could have been used to treat AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other diseases.
Courtney’s insurance company agreed to pay $35 million to victims, and two pharmaceutical makers paid $71 million in settlements.
In 2020, Courtney requested an early release or compassionate release in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those motions provoked backlash from victims as well as elected officials and were ultimately denied.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 12:21 PM.
