Physician Gets 40 Years For Illegally Prescribing More Than Half a Million Opioid Doses
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 2, 2019, a Virginia doctor received a 40-year prison sentence for illegally prescribing more than half a million opioid pills over 19 months. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia handed down the […]
Physician Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison For Illegally Prescribing Opioid Pills
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 2, 2019, a Virginia doctor received a 40-year prison sentence for illegally prescribing more than half a million opioid pills over 19 months. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia handed down the […]
Virginia Doc Lands 40 Years in Prison For Running Multi-state Pill Mill
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On October 2, 2019, a Virginia doctor received a 40-year prison sentence for illegally prescribing more than half a million opioid pills over 19 months. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia handed down 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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Doctors and Nurse Practitioner Arrested in Prescription Drug Abuse Raid
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A crackdown on prescription drug abuse by New York law enforcement has resulted in the arrests of 98 people. Two doctors and a nurse practitioner were among those charged. A series of raids were carried out by Brooklyn […]
Florida Pain Clinics Can Expect More Bullying From Law Enforcement
Florida pain clinics really began to feel the impact of becoming law enforcement’s newest target about one year ago. This was based in part on televison “magazine” shows and investigative reporters’ shows and articles publicizing many abuses by patients who were “doctor shopping” and physicians who were allegedly “over-prescribing.” More regulations were enacted, and lawmakers approved […]
Orlando Health Attorney Featured in Latest Issue of Medical Economics
Orlando, Fla. – March 15, 2012 – George F. Indest III, President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, shares his knowledge of health law in the March 14 issue of Medical Economics. Mr. Indest was interviewed and quoted for an article concerning legal advice for primary care physicians who prescribe painkillers. In the […]
The DEA Attacks Legitimate Pharmaceutical Distributors, Starting with CVS Pharmacy and Cardinal Health
Earlier in February 2012, the DEA accused both CVS Pharmacy, one of the nation’s largest drug store chains, and Cardinal Health, one of the nation’s largest legitimate distributors of pharmaceuticals, of endangering the public by selling excessive amounts of oxycodone to four Florida pharmacies. For Cardinal Health, the charges came in an immediate suspension order […]
Suspected Florida Pill Mills Continue to Attract Investigations
According to the Orlando Sentinel, some of the worst alleged pill mills in Florida are located in Orlando. At a small pain clinic near downtown Orlando and an affiliated office, one doctor prescribed more oxycodone during a three-month period in 2010 than all doctors in the state of California combined. Details about the clinic from […]
CVS Refuses to Fill Prescriptions For Some Florida Doctors
The crack down on Florida pill mills continues with CVS pharmacies notifying some doctors that they no longer will fill their prescriptions for certain narcotic medications. According to Health News Florida, this new policy appears to be limited to Florida, but CVS has not clearly stated what is being used to determine which doctors can […]
In Brief: Florida Pain Management Clinic Laws
Every health profession has its own set of rules and regulations. This week, we’re examining Florida laws under which pain management clinics operate. Because Florida has one of the worst drug trafficking problems in the country, law enforcement is making sure that punishments for any violations are severe. For example, if a patient dies of […]
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 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, […]
Nurse Practitioner Arrested in New York Crackdown on Prescription Drug Abuse
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A New York law enforcement crackdown on prescription drug abuse has resulted in the arrests of 98 people. Among those charged are a nurse practitioner and two doctors. Brooklyn federal prosecutors joined with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), […]
“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 […]
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 […]