By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On June 4, 2013, two Orlando-area pharmacists were arrested for allegedly dealing oxycodone. The Orlando Sentinel reported that these pharmacists co-owned a local pharmacy, which was searched by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI).
This marks the fourth Orlando pharmacy where police have arrested a pharmacist as part of an MBI investigation into alleged forgery and drug trafficking, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
It’s essential to note that, at this stage, these are only claims against the pharmacists, and the government has not yet proven anything.
Pharmacists Allegedly Filling Fake Prescriptions for Drug Traffickers.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that state investigators stated they had been watching the pharmacists since 2011. The pharmacists are said to have taken fake prescriptions from leaders of drug-dealing groups. These groups supposedly made many phony prescriptions for painkillers and used them at drugstores in the Central Florida area.
Prescriptions Allegedly Full of Red Flags.
WESH-TV reported that arrests happened because of proof that the pharmacists sold pain pills illegally to a drug group when it was clear there was no real medical need. A pharmacy expert from the Florida Department of Health looked at the case and found nine flags that should have alerted the pharmacists that the prescriptions were fake.
The Result of Crackdowns on Florida Pill Mills.
The head of Orange County’s drug-free program says that the number of pain clinics in the county has decreased from 60 in 2010 to 23 by June 2013. Fewer people are dying from oxycodone overdoses in Florida. But because prescription pain pills are now more difficult to get and cost more, people addicted to them are turning to heroin instead.
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To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.
Sources:
Pavuk, Amy. “Agents Raid South Orange Pharmacy, Arrest Pair.” Orlando Sentinel. (June 4, 2013). From: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-jr-pharmacy-raid-arrests-20130604,0,2706542. story
McDaniel, Dave. “Pharmacists Arrested on Trafficking Charges.” WESH TV. (June 4, 2013). From: http://www.wesh.com/news/central-florida/orange-county/pharmacists-arrested-on-trafficking-charges/-/12978032/20414548/-/13bxurx/-/index.html
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
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