Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States government $150,000 to settle civil allegations that is unlawfully filled fraudulent prescriptions for stimulants and that it failed to make and maintain complete and accurate records of its controlled substances, in violation of the federal Controlled Substance Act. The civil suit was filed against ARH by the United States in May 2016. The suit alleged that Harlan ARH Hospital Pharmacy knew the prescriptions were fraudulent because there was no known relationship between the ER doctor writing the prescriptions and the staff and nurses filling the prescriptions. The lawsuit further alleged that pharmacies at Hazard ARH and Middlesboro ARH did make and maintain accurate records of their controlled substances.