In a striking revelation, a series of investigations into the White House Medical Unit’s operations under the Trump administration have unveiled what appears to be widespread misuse of controlled substances among staff. An exhaustive report by the Defense Department’s inspector general laid out a disturbing pattern of medication management that was severely lacking in oversight and record-keeping.
The White House Medical Unit, traditionally tasked with providing medical care to the President and Vice President, as well as their immediate families and visiting dignitaries, is now under scrutiny for its lax distribution of controlled substances. The report details the dissemination of stimulants like modafinil and sedatives such as Xanax, without proper records or diagnosis, to staffers who weren’t legally eligible to receive them.
Interviews with more than 120 officials, including hospital administrators and military medical providers, painted a picture of a White House clinic that treated medication dispensement with a cavalier disregard for protocol. Prepacks containing the sleeping drug Ambien and stimulant Provigil were handed out to senior staff or their assistants without any record of who was ultimately receiving them. This haphazard practice raises the question of the full extent of misuse, given the report’s alarming note that medication counts often contained errors or were illegible and not properly annotated.
Former senior Trump administration officials and others with knowledge of the matter described an environment where controlled substances were readily available. “The White House at that time was ‘awash in speed,'” said one former official. The stimulant modafinil was allegedly handed out to staffers requiring an energy boost, while Xanax was used to alleviate the high-stress atmosphere permeated by an “atmosphere of paranoia.”
The report didn’t specifically name individuals but pointed to significant issues during the tenure of Dr. Ronny Jackson, who led the unit during part of the Obama administration and served as physician to President Trump. Jackson, now a Republican congressman from Texas, was described in previous Pentagon reports as having engaged in “inappropriate conduct” during his time as the White House physician. The Pentagon watchdog had also received complaints about Jackson’s prescribing practices and behavior.
What the investigations clearly underscore is a breakdown of medical standards and safeguards at the highest levels of the U.S. government. This includes instances of senior staffers reportedly combining Xanax with alcohol, a mix that considerably heightens the risk of serious, life-threatening side effects.
The Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General found that the medical unit’s pharmaceutical management practices might have been subject to prescribing errors, posing increased risk to the health and safety of patients. Moreover, the report divulged that the White House clinic improperly spent taxpayer dollars on brand-name drugs, such as Ambien and Provigil, when less-expensive generics were available, leading to an overspending by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Pentagon agreed with the inspector general’s recommendations for reforms, which include developing a pharmaceutical oversight plan and improving methods for establishing patient eligibility.
Relevant articles:
– Trump’s White House Was ‘Awash in Speed’ — and Xanax
– White House clinic handed out medications with little oversight during past administrations, new investigation shows CNN, Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– White House Medical Unit gave controlled substances to ineligible staff, watchdog finds CBS News, Mon, 05 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– White House clinic improperly distributed controlled substances during previous administrations, new report says NBC News, Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT