Florida prescription drug crackdown | The Health Law Firm Blog

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 doctors. DEA agents stated the clinic was operating as a “pill mill” and allegedly diverting legal prescriptions for illegal purposes. No one was arrested during the raid. Longwood is a suburb of Orlando.

Investigation Spreads to South Florida.

According to WESH-TV, during the raid agents took everything from the clinic that could help them build a criminal prosecution. This included paper records, computer equipment and prescription drugs. DEA agents would not say how many people they were investigating, but they did say this raid was the result of […]

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 14, 2013. Agents believe the evidence they have gathered suggests the clinic was operating as a “pill mill,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. Officials allegedly seized evidence at the clinic associated with at least ten (10) doctors and other clinic employees. No one has been arrested yet, but documents filed in federal court in Orlando suggest charges could be coming.

I previously blogged about this raid. Click here to read that blog.

Details of the Investigation.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the DEA began surveying the alleged […]

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, Florida. He was charged with operating a pill mill out of his office. He pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter, four counts of conspiracy to traffic oxycodone, one count of racketeering and one count of money laundering.

Click here to read the entire Sun Sentinel article.

Doctor Prescribed Pain Pills to Undercover Detectives.

Dr. Rodriguez is accused of illegally prescribing pain killers out of his office. He was initially arrested in 2008. Investigators claim the doctor did not have the proper training to prescribe the pain medications, […]

“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 has been dubbed “Operation Main Pain” by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Click here to view the press release from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigation Unveiled Complex Fraudulent Drug Ring.

The investigation began in July 2011, when a fraudulent oxycodone prescription was noticed at a CVS pharmacy in Sarasota County. When more of the same fake prescriptions were presented at the CVS pharmacy, the prescriptions were identified as suspicious and declined, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Investigators uncovered that the fraudulent prescription drug ring involved […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:14-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pain Management, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Trafficking Prescription Painkillers|Tags: controlled substances, counterfeit prescriptions, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Florida prescription drug abuse, Florida prescription drug crackdown, fraudulent prescription, Operation Main Pain, pain clinics, pain management, pain management clinic, pharmacies, pharmacist, pharmacist attorney, pharmacist lawyer, pharmacy, pharmacy attorney, pharmacy lawyer, prescription drug trafficking, the health law firm|Comments Off

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 the Sunshine State became known as painkiller capital of America, officials worked quickly to enact legislation against prescription drugs, develop and monitor the statewide prescription drug monitoring database, and crackdown on prescription drug abusers and pill mills. Flash forward to summer 2013, prescription pills are harder to come by and more expensive, therefore making them less appealing to addicts. However, that does not mean the war is over. Now addicts are finding their replacement fix in heroin, according to the Miami Herald.

Click here to read […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:39-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pain Management, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Trafficking Prescription Painkillers|Tags: controlled substances, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), doctor, drug addiction, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Florida drug addiction, Florida health care lawyer, Florida health law attorney, Florida Office of the Attorney General (AG), florida pill mills, Florida prescription drug abuse, Florida prescription drug crackdown, heroin, legal defense for doctors, legal defense for physicians, legal representation for doctors, legal representation for physicians, opioid misuse, opioid use, oxycodone, pain management, pain pills, pharmacists, physician, physicians, pill mill bust, pill mill laws, pill mills, prescription drug crackdown, prescription drug trafficking, prescription drugs, prescription pain pill, prescription pills, prescriptions, the health law firm|1 Comment

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, a jury acquitted Cynthia Cadet, M.D., and Joseph Castronuovo, M.D., of causing the deaths of their patients. The doctors were convicted of money laundering for their role in a conspiracy involving the chain of pain clinics they worked at, according to the DEA. The doctors still face up to ten (10) years in jail for the money laundering charges, as well as forfeiture of the money made while working at the clinics. Sentencing for the doctors is set for November 4, 2013, according to the DEA.

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Florida Doctors and Pharmacists Beware: Gov. Scott Declares State of Emergency for Opioid Abuse Crisis

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 3, 2017, Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency to combat Florida’s opioid-addiction epidemic. According to the governor, the number of overdose deaths has reached epidemic proportions. This declaration will allow nearly $30 million in federal funding to be spent for treatment and prevention services.

Given past state actions taken to attempt to eliminate prescription pain medication abuse, physicians writing such prescriptions and pharmacies filling such prescriptions should beware. Get prepared, not only through having a good compliance program, but by contacting and having a good attorney on retainer in the event of a subpoena, raid, search warrant or arrest warrant. Additionally, always talk to your lawyer before speaking with any investigator or special agent about anything.

The Emergency Declaration.

An emergency declaration […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:41-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pharmacy Law Blog|Tags: attorneys for physicians, Board of Medicine defense counsel, Board of Medicine defense lawyer, Board of Medicine hearing attorney, Board of Pharmacy defense lawyer, Board of Pharmacy hearing attorney, Department of Health defense counsel, drug diversion defense attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defense lawyer, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing lawyer, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Order to Show Cause (OTSC) attorney, Florida health care defense attorney, Florida prescription drug crackdown, Florida’s opioid abuse crisis, health care defense attorney, health care professional defense attorney, legal representation for drug diversion, legal representation for health care professionals, legal representation for opioid prescribing, legal representation for over-prescribing pain medication, legal representation for physicians prescribing opioids, pharmacist legal defense attorney, reviews of The Health Law Firm, the health law firm, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews|Comments Off

Two Pharmacists and One Dentist in Central Florida Arrested for Prescribing and Dispensing Prescription Drugs

By Danielle M. Murray, J.D., and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The Lakeland Ledger reports that Polk County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested a dentist and two pharmacists on September 5, 2012, in three unrelated cases dealing with illegally prescribing and dispensing painkillers. The sheriff’s office said the three arrests are part of its efforts to target prescription drug abuse.

To read the entire Lakeland Ledger article, click here.

The Arrest of the Dentist’s Daughter Led to His Investigation and Arrest.

In May 2012, the dentist’s daughter was arrested for allegedly forging more than 500 hydrocodone prescriptions. That arrest led deputies and the Department of Health (DOH) to search the dentist’s clinic. According to the Lakeland Ledger article, out of 43 patient files randomly selected, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:05-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Law, Trafficking Prescription Painkillers|Tags: defense attorney, dentist defense, Department of Health (DOH) Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation, Florida prescription drug abuse, Florida prescription drug crackdown, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) investigation, overprescribing pain medication, prescription drug trafficking. pharmacist defense, prescription drugs, undercover agents|Comments Off

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 prescriptions were not legitimate.

Click here to see video of the arrest from WFTV in Orlando.

Investigation by Narcotics Agents Led to Arrest.

In December 2011, narcotics agents searched the same pharmacy and found 22 prescriptions that were suspected to be fraudulent, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Agents believed the prescriptions were fakes because they apparently matched phony prescriptions found at other local pharmacies. The prescriptions had the same patient names, and the telephone number listed on the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:05-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pain Management, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law|Tags: controlled substances, DEA investigation, Department of Health (DOH), doctor, DOH investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), emergency suspension order, Florida prescription drug abuse, Florida prescription drug crackdown, nurse, overprescribing, pain clinics, pain management, pharmacies, pharmacist, pharmacist license, physician, pill mill, pill mill laws, prescription drug trafficking|Comments Off

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 regarding pain management clinics.

Click here to read the entire Seminole County Ordinance.

County Commissioners hope these new regulations will aid law enforcement in fighting illegal pill mill operations in Florida.

Regulations In Place to Cut Down on Overprescribing.

The ordinance requires clinics to get a license, produce monthly reports on how many prescriptions are issued for controlled substances and report patient information, such as a patient’s address. This only applies to practices where doctors issue prescriptions for painkillers […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:08-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pain Management, Trafficking Prescription Painkillers|Tags: controlled substances, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), doctor, florida pill mills, Florida prescription drug abuse, Florida prescription drug crackdown, nurse, Osceola County pill mills, overprescribing, pain clinics, pain management, pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy, physician, pill mill, prescription drug monitoring program, prescription drug trafficking, Seminole County pain clinics, Seminole County pill mills|Comments Off