Within the last few years, raids on pain management clinics, as well as pharmacies, have been increasingly commonplace. The doctors, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals involved are carted away in handcuffs and must defend their practice.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, a South Florida pain management clinic has recently been shut down under emergency action by the Florida Department of Health (DOH). Several health care professionals at the clinic were arrested, their licenses revoked.
In this instance, the charges against these health care employees are not completely unwarranted. Patients confessed to authorities that members of the clinic knew they were shopping for drugs, and an employee revealed that he was asked to recruit patients by promising powerful drugs.
However, it is not uncommon for a pain management clinic or related practice to face investigation, especially in Florida. Federal and state agencies are doing everything and anything they can to prevent drug farming, which means a crackdown on health care providers. Dubbed “Operation Pill Nation,” this strict enforcement means more worries for health care professionals, who now must monitor patient needs under the DEA’s close watch.
If your medical practice specializes in pain management or a similar area, have a plan in place in the event that the DEA comes knocking on your door. Be aware of health lawyers that are familiar with these cases and can defend you in the event of a DEA raid. These proceedings are often very complicated, and you’ll want an experienced team of health law attorneys to properly defend you from criminal charges.
At The Health Law Firm, our team of lawyers specialize in the representation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals involved in Department of Health, Diversion Control and Drug Enforcement Administration in Florida and throughout the United States. For more information about our knowledge in the practice of health law and DEA cases read our article on Pain Management and the DEA.