Trump administration was ‘awash with speed’ and prescription drugs, says report

During the presidency of Donald Trump the White House Medical Unit operated “like the Wild West”, with controlled substances dished out to administration staff with a serious lack of oversight, according to a report.

Drugs including Ambien and Provigil – which are used to treat excessive sleepiness – were dished out without verifying the identities of patients, states the report from the Defense Department’s (DoD) inspector general.

Staff members reportedly told Rolling Stone that the White House was “awash with speed”, with prescription medication used by those to deal with the uniquely stressful job of serving the Trump administration.

Stimulants were given to those engaging in tasks including the writing of Mr Trump’s speeches, working late hours on foreign policy, responding to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, and coping with the deluge of media inquiries, the outlet reported.

Details of the medical unit’s operations were included in the report, released by the DoD on 8 January. Among the findings was that many of the White House Medical Unit pharmaceutical management practices did not comply with federal and DoD guidance.

The report concluded that problems had occurred because the medical unit “did not consider their operations to be a pharmacy” and had relied on internal White House Medical Unit controls to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Stimulants were given to those engaging in tasks including the writing of Mr Trump’s speeches and various other tasks

“We concluded that the White House Medical Unit’s internal controls were ineffective,” the report stated.

Among the issues cited was that the Medical Unit dispensed non‑emergency controlled medications, such as Ambien and Provigil, without