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Audit of Chicago Department of Public Health Central Pharmacy Warehouse

February 2, 2009

Summary

The Inspector General’s Office has completed an audit of the City of Chicago’s Central Pharmacy Warehouse, which is operated by the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Executive Summary

The Central Pharmacy Warehouse obtained and stored approximately $3 million in goods in calendar year 2007, which was the time period covered by the audit. CDPH paid for the goods principally with money from federal grants provided to the City and from the Corporate Fund in the City’s budget. Goods stored at the warehouse included vaccines for a
variety of diseases (including hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella, and influenza), a
variety of drugs (including antibiotics, TB drugs, anesthetics, and cough and cold medicine), and clinical supplies. The warehouse would receive orders for these goods from CDPH health clinics and other health sites associated with the CDPH, and was then supposed to distribute the goods to these locations.

The purpose of the audit was to determine whether CDPH’s procedures and internal controls
were effective in preventing theft, loss, waste, and the potential for misconduct, and whether there were inefficiencies in the warehouse’s operations.

Audit of Chicago Department of Public Health Central Pharmacy Warehouse