Doctor Voluntarily Relinquishes License Due to Allegations of Malpractice and Over-Prescribing Oxycodone
By Danielle M. Murray, J.D., Attorney, The Health Law Firm A doctor in Polk County, Florida, has lost his license to practice medicine. Rather than risk having his license revoked in an administrative proceeding, the now former doctor offered to voluntarily relinquish his license. The Florida Board of Medicine voted to accept the voluntary relinquishment […]
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 […]
Osceola County Authorities Nab 29 People in Phony Prescription Ring
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A sting on a prescription fraud ring netted 29 arrests in Osceola County, Florida. On December 13, 2012. Osceola County Investigative Bureau (OCIB) agents, along with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Kissimmee Police Department and St. Cloud Police […]
Drug Enforcement Administration Releases Details of Investigation into Two CVS Stores in Sanford, Florida
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In September 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revoked the controlled substance licenses from two CVS pharmacies in Sanford, Florida. Details into the investigation were made public on October 12, 2012, in a final order released by the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Blocks Shipping of Controlled Substances at Walgreens Distribution Center in Florida
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On September 14, 2012, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) blocked the Walgreens distribution center in Jupiter, Florida, from shipping oxycodone and other controlled drugs to its pharmacies in Florida and the East Coast with an immediate suspension order, […]
More than 30 People Charged with Pharmaceutical Drug Trafficking in Central Florida
By Dr. Thu Pham, O.D., Law Clerk, The Health Law Firm Attorney General Pam Bondi along with special agent Mark R. Trouville of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Longwood Police Chief Troy Hickson announced, on June 20, 2012, the execution of 37 arrest warrants stemming from state drug charges. The defendants all reside in […]
Drug Enforcement Administration Agents Raid Central Florida Pain Management Clinic
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents along with local police and sheriffs’ deputies raided a Longwood, Florida, pain management clinic on June 14, 2013. According to the Orlando Sentinel, agents searched for evidence at the clinic associated with multiple […]
Two Central Florida Physicians Connected to Statewide Pill-Mill Network
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law An Orlando and Jacksonville physician have been linked to a statewide pill-mill operation that brought in millions of dollars to pain clinic owners and doctors, according to the Orlando Sentinel. On June 27, 2012 seven doctors and seven […]
Recent Pill Mill Bust in Florida Dubbed “Operation Pill Street Blues”
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A statewide pill mill bust that spanned several Florida cities was announced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Florida law enforcement on June 27, 2012. Seven doctors and seven pain clinic owners were arrested. The raid has […]
New Details Released on Drug Enforcement Administration’s Investigation of Central Florida Pain Management Clinic
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) investigation into a Longwood, Florida, pain management clinic continues. More details are being revealed about the case. DEA agents along with local police and sheriffs’ deputies raided the pain management clinic on June […]
Doctor Sentenced to Almost 27 Years in Prison for Pill Mill Charges
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A doctor was sentenced to almost 27 years in prison on July 24, 2013, according to the Sun Sentinel. The former doctor, Sergio Rodriguez, had worked as a pediatrician at Children Plus Health Center near Palm Beach County, […]
Central Florida Doctor’s Home and Offices Raided Over Alleged Improper Prescribing Practices
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In a joint operation, law enforcement officials raided the home and two offices of a Central Florida physician on November 8, 2013, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office alleges that the doctor […]
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Serves Up Immediate Suspension Order for Walgreens Distribution Center
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On September 14, 2012, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) blocked the Walgreens distribution center in Jupiter, Florida, from shipping oxycodone and other controlled drugs to its pharmacies in Florida and the East Coast with an immediate suspension order, […]
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 […]
Crackdown in the Supply of Prescription Medications Drive Floridians to Heroin
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law For the past three years, Florida lawmakers and officials have waged war against prescription drug abuse. At the peak of the pill abuse epidemic, seven people a day reportedly died of a prescription drug overdose in Florida. As […]
CVS Blacklists Second Set of Doctors Accused of Overprescribing Painkillers
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law CVS is again stepping up its own internal efforts to combat the nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic. According to Reuters, the second largest retail pharmacy chain announced it is cutting off access to the most powerful painkillers for […]
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, […]
37 Central Floridians Charged with Illicit Pharmaceutical Drug Trafficking
By Dr. Thu Pham, O.D., Law Clerk, The Health Law Firm Attorney General Pam Bondi along with special agent Mark R. Trouville of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Longwood Police Chief Troy Hickson announced, on June 20, 2012, the execution of 37 arrest warrants stemming from state drug charges. The defendants all reside in […]
Former Pharmaceutical Sales Rep to Serve 70 Months in Prison for Part in $13M Oxycodone Scheme
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On March 24, 2017, a federal judge in the U.S. Southern District of Florida in Miami sentenced a former pharmaceutical salesman to nearly six years in prison for his part in a $13 million money laundering scheme. The […]
“Operation Main Pain” Targets More Than 60 in Fraudulent Prescription Drug Ring
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office announced a fraudulent prescription drug ring bust that spanned throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties in Florida, on September 19, 2013. So far, 61 people, including the alleged ringleader have been arrested. The operation […]
Orlando Pharmacists Arrested for Alleged Drug Trafficking
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 […]
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Investigates Six Walgreens Pharmacies in Florida
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) served an Order to Show Cause (OSC) on a Fort Myers Walgreens pharmacy on February 21, 2013. According to the DEA, the OSC was served as a notice to provide Walgreens with an […]
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 […]
Sanford CVS Pharmacies in Hot Water for Ignoring Red Flags
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In September 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revoked the controlled substance licenses from two CVS pharmacies in Sanford, Florida. Details into the investigation were made public on October 12, 2012, in a final order released by the […]
Walgreens Files a Petition to Lift the Immediate Suspension Order
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law There’s a firefight brewing between Walgreens and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On October 10, 2012, Walgreens filed a petition asking a federal judge to lift the Immediate Suspension Order (ISO) that bans its distribution center in Jupiter, […]
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 […]
Two Central Florida CVS Pharmacies Get Controlled Substance Licenses Pulled by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revoked the registrations (controlled substance licenses) from two CVS pharmacies in Sanford, Florida, on September 12, 2012, according to a number of sources. The two pharmacies will no longer be able to […]