BROOKFIELD, CT — Prices at Brookfield pumps are surging, but there is some evidence the trend may reverse in the short term, according to research from AAA Northeast.

In Connecticut, a gallon of self-service regular is averaging $3.70, up 20 cents from last week and 28 cents from one month ago. The national average is $3.67, up 4 cents from last week and 14 cents from last month.

But softening gasoline demand, falling oil prices and growing oil and gas inventories could stave off even more rapid price increases for the time being, according to Alec Slatky, managing director of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast.

“Drivers might be seeing red at the gas pump this week, but there are signs that the pace of price increases could ease,” Slatky said. “It’s not unusual to see a lull in demand between the end of spring breaks and Memorial Day. Regional gasoline inventories are ahead of last year’s levels – and growing. And oil prices, which had been climbing since the start of the year, fell sharply last week after markets digested the latest developments in the Middle East and lackluster demand figures from China, the world’s largest oil importer.”

Here is AAA’s weekly price survey of Connecticut’s six metro regions.

• Greater Bridgeport: $3.75
• Lower Fairfield County: $3.74
• Greater Hartford: $3.68
• New Haven/Meriden: $3.68
• New London/Norwich: $3.68
• Windham: $3.74

In Brookfield, the best price for a gallon of regular fuel is $3.49, member prices available at the BJ’s Wholesale and Costco shopping clubs, and at the CITGO gas station, all on Federal Road. The update was posted Tuesday morning by shopping app GasBuddy.

Here are some other gas stations where you can save, in and around Brookfield:

A Connecticut pharmacy and its owner have agreed to pay $120,000 to a civil settlement with the federal government over controlled substances allegations.

Cornerstone Pharmacy, Inc. — doing business as “Whalley Drug” — and its owner, Yong Kwon, recently agreed to a civil settlement with the federal government and paid $120,000 to resolve allegations that they “violated civil provisions” of the Controlled Substances Act, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release on Monday.

According to officials, on June 22, 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration served an Administrative Inspection Warrant on Whalley Drug, a pharmacy in New Haven that was owned by Kwon, a pharmacist.

“During execution of the warrant, the DEA interviewed Kwon concerning patients who overdosed after filling prescriptions at Whalley Drug prescribed by certain area practitioners, and Kwon’s practices in filling prescriptions for controlled substances prescribed by area practitioners,” federal officials said.

The DEA also audited Whalley Drug for its compliance with the recordkeeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act. According to federal officials, the audit allegedly revealed discrepancies for several controlled substances.

Federal officials allege that, between September 2017 and June 2021, Whalley Drug filled prescriptions for controlled substances that had been issued without a legitimate medical purpose, “in violation of the pharmacist’s corresponding responsibility to ensure that only valid prescriptions are dispensed,” according to officials.

The prescriptions for controlled substances were allegedly filled for individuals with red flags of abuse and addiction, federal officials said. Other individuals reportedly received prescriptions for dangerous combinations of controlled substances, including a high-risk combination of at least one opioid, benzodiazepine and a muscle relaxant. Another individual was allegedly prescribed unsafe amounts of benzodiazepines despite already receiving two additional dosage units of the same controlled substance from a different provider, according to federal officials.

On June 22, 2021, Kwon agreed to voluntarily surrender Whalley Drug’s DEA license, which prevents it from operating as a retail pharmacy, federal officials said.

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