Kissimmee, Pine Hills Pain Clinics Investigated
Clinics in Kissimmee and Pine Hills are under investigation. A doctor involved with the clinics is accused of over-prescribing painkillers and other addictive medicine, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Drug agents with the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation collected evidence and talked to patients at the Miracle Health Center/Pine Hills Medical Center, and at the Keneday […]
More Than 20 Arrest Warrants Issued by Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Connection to Pill Mill Investigation
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The Polk County Sheriff’s Office issued 25 arrest warrants in connection to an ongoing pill mill investigation involving a medical clinic in Winter Haven, Florida. On September 19, 2012, the sheriff’s office announced that ten suspects in the […]
Orlando Pharmacist in Hot Water After Filling Fraudulent Prescriptions
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Another pharmacist was led away in handcuffs during a September 25, 2012, raid on an Orlando-area pharmacy, according to a number of sources. The pharmacist is accused of filling prescriptions for oxycodone, even though he allegedly knew the […]
Osceola County Commissioners Vote to Regulate Pain Management Clinics
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 8, 2012, the Osceola County, Florida, Commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance that will regulate pain management clinics, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The ordinance will take effect on October 31, 2012, and will be in effect […]
Sarasota Sheriff Wants Patients to Waive HIPAA Privacy Rights
By Danielle M. Murray, J.D. Law enforcement has been working hard to bust pill mills and stop prescription drug abuse. Pharmacists and pain management doctors are under intense scrutiny by various law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Health (DOH), for their role in giving out controlled substances. “Doctor […]
Most Physicians Not Using the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
By Danielle M. Murray, J.D. The Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program is apparently collecting dust as physicians are choosing not to use it. The Tampa Bay Times reported on October 5, 2012, that as few as one in twelve doctors have ever used the database. That is about eight percent (8%) of all physicians. Approximately […]
Tightened Restrictions Placed on Pain Management Clinics in Seminole County
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Seminole County, Florida, is the latest county to adopt tightened regulations for pain management clinics. On November 13, 2012, County Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt the ordinance enacting Chapter 186 of the Seminole County Code to establish regulations […]
Medical Negligence – An Accidental Overdose of Prescription Pain Pills Can Lead to Lawsuits
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law and Carole C. Schriefer, R.N., J.D., The Health Law Firm In February 2009, a 30-year-old male patient was prescribed, all together, 180 pills of Dilaudid and Xanax from a South Florida pain clinic. Sometime within the next 24 […]
Number of Oxycodone-Related Deaths Down in Florida
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law It looks like Florida’s prescription drug legislation, the statewide prescription drug monitoring database and the prescription drug crackdowns by law enforcement may be working, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE states in its […]
Filling Phony Prescriptions for Pain Killers Lands Orlando Pharmacist Behind Bars
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Another pharmacist was led away in handcuffs during a September 25, 2012, raid on an Orlando-area pharmacy, according to a number of sources. The pharmacist is accused of filling prescriptions for oxycodone, even though he allegedly knew the […]
New Regulations for Pain Management Clinics in Seminole County Coming
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Seminole County, Florida, is the latest county to adopt tightened regulations for pain management clinics. On November 13, 2012, County Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt the ordinance enacting Chapter 186 of the Seminole County Code to establish regulations […]
Two Orlando-Area Pharmacists Arrested on Charges of Allegedly Trafficking Drugs
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Two Orlando-area pharmacists were arrested on June 4, 2013, allegedly in connection to trafficking oxycodone, according to a number of local media sources. An Orlando Sentinel article states that the pharmacists are also co-owners of an Orlando pharmacy […]
Pill-Mill Crackdown Hurting Patients With Legitimate Pain
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Florida has been plagued for years with the reputation of being the “pill mill capital of the country.” Lawmakers needed to do something about prescription painkiller abuse. But, the crackdown on pill mills has produced unintended consequences. Since […]
Nation Rx Drug Abuse Summit Held in Central Florida-Leaders Share Struggles and Triumphs in “War Against Prescription Drugs”
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law From April 2 through April 4, 2013, the country’s leading experts on the prescription drug epidemic met in Central Florida for the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, according to the Orlando Sentinel. National leaders including the White House […]
Two Florida Doctors Convicted of Money Laundering Stemming from Pill Mill Operation in Broward and Palm Beach Counties
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Two South Florida doctors faced life in prison and fines up to $2 million each because nine (9) of their patients allegedly died of drug overdoses, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). However, on July 30, 2013, […]