pharmacy investigation | The Health Law Firm Blog

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 DEA.

The order explains how the stores operated, whom they prescribed painkillers such as oxycodone to, and identified Central Florida’s top-prescribing doctors.

To read the final order from the DEA, click here.

I previously wrote about the two Sanford CVS stores losing their controlled substance licenses, click here to read that blog.

Testimonies from Employees Allegedly Explained Pharmacies’ Operating System.

The final order reveals testimonies from pharmacy personnel. In a press release from the DEA the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:41-04:00June 1, 2018|Categories: DEA, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Pharmacy, The Health Law Firm Blog|Tags: administrative hearings, controlled substance licenses, DEA raid, defense attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation, emergency suspension order (ESO), Florida defense attorney, Florida defense lawyer, pharmacist, pharmacy, pharmacy investigation, prescription drug trafficking, registration, revoked license|Comments Off

Florida Pharmacy Owner Accused of Medicare Fraud

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

A family that owns a number of South Florida pharmacies is allegedly under investigation for Medicare fraud, according to a number of sources. On January 17, 2013, federal authorities raided one pharmacy location in Naples, Florida. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents removed boxes of documents and computers from the pharmacy, according to Naples News. The pharmacy owner and his mother are allegedly being investigated by the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Click here to read the entire Naples News article.

Pharmacy Owner and Mother Allegedly Submitted False Claims to Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare.

According to NBC2, a South Florida television station, the pharmacy owner and his mother were both […]

Sex, Drugs and Money Lands Avalon Park Pharmacist in Handcuffs

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

Sex, prescription drugs and money – sounds like the next big rock ‘n’ roll song, doesn’t it? According to a number of news sources, the owner of an Avalon Park-area pharmacist was allegedly knowingly filling phony prescriptions for painkillers. The pharmacist is also accused of exchanging sex for drugs with at least one woman, according to the Orlando Sentinel. This investigation was led by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Both agencies simultaneously raided the pharmacy on November 29, 2012.

Avalon Park is a community it the greater Orlando area.
Filling Phony Prescriptions.

According to WFTV, the owner of the pharmacy and two employees sat handcuffed outside the pharmacy as federal drug agents reportedly […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:08-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law, Trafficking Prescription Painkillers|Tags: administrative hearings, criminal charges, DEA investigation, DEA raid, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), drug trafficking, fake prescriptions, Florida Department of Health (DOH), legal defense for pharmacists, legal representation for pharmacists, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), pharmacies, pharmacist, pharmacy investigation, quality assurance, smurfs|Comments Off

The 25 Biggest Mistakes Pharmacists Make After Being Notified of a Department of Health Complaint

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

The investigation of a complaint which could lead to the revocation of a pharmacist’s license to practice and the assessment of tens of thousands of dollars in fines, usually starts with a simple letter from the Department of Health (DOH). This is a very serious legal matter and it should be treated as such by the pharmacist who receives it. Yet, in many cases, attorneys are consulted by pharmacists after the entire investigation is over, and they have attempted to represent themselves throughout the case. Often, the mistakes that have been made severely compromise an attorney’s ability to achieve a favorable result for the pharmacist.

These are the 25 biggest mistakes we see in the pharmacy cases we are called upon to defend […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:09-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Florida Board of Pharmacy, Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Law|Tags: criminal charges, dea, DEA investigation, department of health, doh, FBI, I’ve been notified of a DOH complaint Department of Health, investigation, legal defense for pharmacists, legal representation for pharmacists, license revoked, pharmacies DEA number, pharmacy investigation, quality assurance, What to do if you’re being investigated|Comments Off

South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Working as a Pharmacist

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

On July 24, 2012, a 49-year-old man from Ruskin in South Fla., pleaded guilty in federal court to fraudulently working as a Central Florida pharmacist from 2000 to 2009, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a press release.

Fake Pharmacist was Working at Central Florida Pharmacies.

Prosecutors said this man worked at pharmacies throughout Central Florida, including CVS pharmacy and Walgreens. According to the Orlando Sentinel, while working at one of the pharmacies, he gave a customer the incorrect medication, causing that person to suffer a severe reaction and stroke.

Alleged Identity Theft to Obtain Pharmacist License.

Allegedly, the man fraudulently obtained a pharmacist license in September of 2000 from the State Department of Health (DOH) by using the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:38-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law|Tags: criminal charges, dea, DEA investigation, DEA number, department of health, Department of Justice, doh, DOJ, FBI, identity theft, investigation, legal defense for pharmacists, legal representation for pharmacists, license revoked, pharmacies, pharmacy investigation, quality assurance|Comments Off

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 opportunity to show cause as to why their DEA registration should not be revoked. The Fort Myers pharmacy is one of six Walgreens pharmacies to be targeted for prescribing practices by the DEA.

Click here to read the press release from the DEA.

According to the DEA, these investigations are part of an effort to curb Florida’s prescription drug epidemic.

Six Walgreens Pharmacies and One Distribution Center Targeted by DEA.

In April 2012, the DEA served and Administrative Inspection Warrant (AIW) on the Fort Myers Walgreens pharmacy, as […]

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, according to the DEA. In the press release, the DEA called the Walgreens distribution facility an “imminent danger” to the public.

To see the entire press release from the DEA, click here.

Back in April 2012, the DEA served an administrative inspection warrant at the same facility, as well as its six top retail Walgreens pharmacies in Florida. To see my blog post on that story, click here.

DEA Named […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:39-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pain Management, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law|Tags: administrative hearings, controlled substance licenses, DEA defense attorney, DEA defense lawyer, DEA raid, defense attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrative law attorney, emergency suspension order, Immediate Suspension Order, investigation, pharmacist, pharmacy, pharmacy investigation, prescription drug trafficking, registration, revoked license|Comments Off

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Recalls Products from Two Different Compounding Pharmacies

By Carole C. Schriefer, R.N., J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Two different compounding pharmacies have recently recalled products due to concerns from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The New Jersey compounding pharmacy, Med Prep Consulting, and Clinical Specialties Compounding in Georgia, both recalled products between March 17, 2013 and March 20, 2013.

The recalls were issued as the FDA and state agencies step up regulation on compounding pharmacies across the country. These agencies are trying to prevent another widespread outbreak, like the fungal meningitis outbreak in the fall of 2012, which is responsible for 50 deaths.

All Products from Med Prep Consulting Recalled.

Med Prep Consulting first issued a recall on March 17, 2013, for all lots of magnesium sulfate for injections after a hospital […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:11-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Compounding pharmacy, Department of Health, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law|Tags: administrative complaints, administrative law, attorney administrative law, Board of Pharmacy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common deficiencies in pharmacy inspection, compounding pharmacy, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), DOH hearing, DOH hearing attorney, drug recall, Florida compounding pharmacy, legal defense for administrative complaints, licensing issues, meningitis, meningitis outbreak, pharmacist, pharmacy, pharmacy attorney, pharmacy investigation, pharmacy lawyer, product recall, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|Comments Off

Negligence Will Determine the Success or Failure of the Meningitis Lawsuits Against Doctors and Clinics

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

The victims and survivors of the meningitis outbreak are now filing lawsuits against the physicians and clinics that administered the tainted steroids. According to an article in The Tennessean, on January 29, 2013, a husband who lost his wife to fungal meningitis filed the first lawsuit against a Nashville outpatient clinic. It’s believed hundreds of people were injected at the same clinic with the tainted steroids. The man is now seeking $12.5 million in damages.

Click here to read the entire article from The Tennessean.

This lawsuit is just one in what is expected to be a series of lawsuits, in not just Tennessee, but across the country.

Compounding Pharmacy Allegedly Behind the Meningitis Outbreak is Out of Business.

The meningitis outbreak was at a peak in […]

Recall Alert: FDA Warns Steroid Injections Compounded by Tennessee Pharmacy May Be Contaminated

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

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out a warning to health care professionals that steroid injections compounded by Main Street Family Pharmacy, LLC, in Tennessee, may be contaminated. The announcement came on May 24, 2013. So far, seven patients have allegedly suffered adverse reactions from the medications. The FDA says it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy to investigate. The steroid injections were allegedly sent to 13 states, including Florida.

To read the press release from the FDA, click here.

Steroid Injections Recalled.

According to an article in the Associated Press, officials have not yet confirmed the products are contaminated. The FDA is treating all sterile products from Main Street Family Pharmacy […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:13-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Compounding pharmacy, Department of Health, Legal Defense for Pharmacists, Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Pharmacy Law|Tags: administrative complaints, administrative law, attorney administrative law, Board of Pharmacy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compounding pharmacy, defense attorney, defense lawyer, Department of Health (DOH), DOH attorney, DOH investigation, DOH lawyer, drug recall, legal defense for administrative complaints, licensing issues, Main Street Family Pharmacy, meningitis, meningitis outbreak, pharmacist, pharmacist attorney, pharmacist lawyer, pharmacy, pharmacy attorney, pharmacy deficiencies, pharmacy inspections, pharmacy investigation, pharmacy lawyer, product recall, speciality pharmacy, sterile drugs, steroid injection, the health law firm, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|Comments Off