Tulsa Pharmacist Arrested, Accused Of Stealing $12,000 In Painkillers Over 2 Years

A Tulsa pharmacist was arrested after the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) accused him of stealing more than $12,000 worth of drugs over two years.

Chad Gassett, a pharmacist at True Health Pharmacy near 41st and Yale, is alleged to have taken painkillers following a hip surgery from a mowing accident four years ago. Gassett was prescribed Percocet during recovery but began self-medicating when his physician refused to prescribe more painkillers, according to the affidavit.

Initially, Gassett told investigators he stole small amounts of painkillers, but by the end of his employment, he was taking entire bottles. This prompted him to request a leave of absence.

CREOKS, which runs the pharmacy, then conducted an inventory check and discovered how much was missing.

"Essentially admitted to everything and has been incredibly cooperative in working with investigators since we made contact with him back in May," said Mark Woodward with OBN.

The affidavit says Gassett stole nearly $13,000 worth of controlled dangerous substances, equating to over 13,000 doses, starting in late 2021 until his departure earlier this year. He allegedly concealed the theft by scanning all bottles for inventory except for one.

"Medical theft by someone who works in the medical industry is very rare. Typically, in cases like this, it's often break-ins," Woodward explained.

OBN stressed that addiction to prescription painkillers is a risk in any profession, not just the medical field.

"It may be after a car accident; they may injure their knee playing pickup basketball. They come from all walks of life—from police officers, medical professionals, to schoolteachers. Many have never used illegal drugs," Woodward added.

News On 6 reached out to Gassett and his attorney, Scott Anderson, for comment but did not receive a response. A spokesperson for CREOKS stated, "We trust that any legal matters regarding Mr. Gassett will be handled by the proper authorities."