Pharmacist Surrenders License for Stealing Soma Pills

A former Utah pharmacist surrendered his pharmacy license and will be fined $500 for stealing 10,000 muscle relaxers from the medical center where he worked.

Craig Larry Marx pleaded guilty to 1 count of theft and entered a guilty plea in abeyance to 1 count of possession of a controlled substance, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. His other charges, including 1 count of third-degree felony theft, were dismissed.

Marx will have to provide proof of an evaluation and counseling, per Judge Samuel Chiara’s orders. Though Marx’s theft conviction will stay on his record, his drug case will be dismissed in a year if he “stays out of trouble,” according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Marx surrendered his pharmacy license last month, according to the state Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL).

The 35-year-old former pharmacist admitted to stealing Soma, a muscle relaxer, by the handful from his medical center last summer, and he told a sheriff’s investigator that he took about 25 pills a day, according to court documents.

This isn’t the first time Marx has landed in court for stealing pills. He was charged with 1 count of third-degree felony theft for stealing 5000 hydrocodone pills while working at a university, according to court documents. He entered a guilty plea in abeyance to a lesser count of theft, and his case was dismissed. For his crime, Marx paid more than $1500 in restitution, did 40 hours of community service, and underwent treatment through the DOPL, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Marx was able to keep his pharmacy license after the 2012 incident by entering into a 5-year diversion agreement, according to the DOPL. Under this agreement, Marx was ordered to complete substance abuse treatment, undergo drug testing, attend a support group, and tell his employer that he was under a 5-year diversion agreement. Marx violated the agreement by stealing the Soma pills, and he will not be able to operate as a pharmacist now after surrendering his license.