A one-time “wellness ambassador” at a Butler pharmacy is accused of illegally obtaining more than $23,000 worth of a so-called “smart drug.”

District Judge William Fullerton on Tuesday issued city police a felony arrest warrant for Joseph P. Donovan, 37, of Butler Township on five counts of the acquisition or obtaining of possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge.

A district manager for Rite Aid in May notified police of a suspected employee theft at the store on South Main Street. The case involved six missing, 100-count bottles of modafinil.

Modafinil is the generic name for the wakefulness-promoting drug Provigil, which is approved for sleep disorders.

The drug is also regarded as a “cognitive enhancer” or “smart drug” that some people believe make them work more effectively.

During the store's internal investigation, the manager confronted Donovan about the missing drugs.

The defendant at the time worked at the store as a wellness ambassador.

According to Rite Aid's website, wellness ambassadors “act as a bridge between the front of the store and the pharmacy.”

Their duties, the website said, include helping customers find products and “provide access to information on over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and supplements.”

In his capacity, documents said, the defendant would frequently help in the pharmacy.

Investigators suspect that in March and April he used the credentials of other authorized employees to order and receive six bottles of modafinil.

Each bottle is valued at $3,994 for a combined loss of $23,964, documents said.

The manager told police that she spoke to Donovan, who “did admit to violating company policy by ordering the medication without permission by using other employees' credentials,” according to a police affidavit.

He was unable to provide a “legitimate reason” for ordering the medication. But when asked if he took the drugs, he apparently did not answer, police said.

Butler police Deputy Chief David Adam said a detective on June 8 tried to interview the defendant but he refused to talk.

Donovan has an unlisted telephone number and could not be reached for comment.