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Fairfield pharmacist Vander Linden pleads guilty to diverting pills for own use
Bryan Vander Linden will continue to serve customers at Summit Pharmacy after entering agreement with Iowa Board of Pharmacy
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FAIRFIELD – A Fairfield pharmacist is facing up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to diverting prescription pills for his own use.
A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice indicated that Bryan Paul Vander Linden, 42, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025 after entering a guilty plea on March 27, 2025 for “acquiring and attempting to acquire a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, or subterfuge.” Vander Linden has admitted that from June 2022 to at least November 2023, he obtained prescription pills for his own use from Summit Pharmacy, which he founded in 2020 at 300 W. Burlington in Fairfield.
“To obtain the pills, Vander Linden would order and not report the pills in the pharmacy’s inventory, take from the pharmacy stock, or take pills from the controlled substance collection bin,” stated the news release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Iowa. “In total, Vander Linden obtained more than 3,500 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, Schedule II controlled substances, and more than 400 carisoprodol pills, a Schedule IV muscle relaxant.”
The charge against Vander Linden carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of not more than one year.
The announcement of Vander Linden’s guilty plea and pending sentence were made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa. The Drug Enforcement Administration is also investigating the case.
In May 2024, Vander Linden came to an agreement with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy to suspend his pharmacy license and not to enter Summit Pharmacy after self-reporting that he had “diverted many CII controlled substances for personal use over the previous six (6) years.”
Vander Linden’s attorney releases statement
Vander Linden hired attorney Elisabeth A. Tursi of the law firm Fautsch Tursi LLP of Des Moines to represent him. The Union reached out to Vander Linden for a comment on the case, and Tursi released the following statement on his behalf:
“At every turn, Bryan Vander Linden has assumed complete responsibility for his past opioid addiction and resulting errors in judgment. Most recently, Bryan took accountability by pleading guilty to diverting controlled substances for personal use. While Bryan will continue to be held accountable for his past conduct at his upcoming sentencing, his current focus is entirely forward-looking and centered on helping others avoid, acknowledge, and overcome similar addictions.
“In addition to supporting others battling addictions, Bryan is resolute in honoring the commitment he made to serve the Fairfield community and surrounding areas when he opened Summit Pharmacy. Through the support and efforts of its other pharmacists and staff, Summit Pharmacy has been in continuous operation since Bryan self-reported his addiction and diversion to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and entered into a Stipulated Agreement Not to Practice. The pharmacy has been and will continue to be fully operational in dispensing non-controlled substance medications to the community.
“Bryan will be returning to assisting customers of Summit Pharmacy himself as he has recently entered into an agreement with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy allowing him to resume his practice as a pharmacist subject to certain monitoring conditions. This includes Bryan’s participation in the Iowa Monitoring Program for Pharmacy Professionals (IMP3) which will monitor Bryan and his pharmaceutical practice for the next five years, providing him with added support and accountability in his sobriety journey.
“Bryan and his family remain determined to use his experience as a force for good and want the community to know that their family and Summit Pharmacy look forward to bettering the Fairfield community for years to come. The Vander Lindens also wish to sincerely thank the community for the outpouring of support and well wishes they have received.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
