Pain Clinic 'Pill Mills' In Florida Raided By Police

State and federal agents raided pain clinics throughout south Florida on Thursday in a crackdown on "pill mills" that they said dispensed medically unnecessary oxycodone -- an often abused pain-killer -- to patients recruited via the Internet.

Six clinic owners and operators were indicted on charges they conspired to illegally dispense more than 660,000 doses of oxycodone, netting $22 million in profits.

The prescription pain-killer can be crushed and snorted or dissolved and injected to get an immediate high, and has a massive potential for abuse leading to addiction and potentially fatal overdoses, federal authorities said.

"According to recent estimates, Florida prescribes ten times more oxycodone pills than all other states combined," U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a news release.

Demand for oxycodone has grown to epidemic proportions in south Florida and other parts of the United States, where drug dealers can sell a 30-milligram oxycodone pill on the street for $10 to $30 or more, the indictment said.

The crackdown, called "Operation Snake Oil," targeted the storefront pain clinic owners and operators who marketed prescriptions through more than 1,600 internet sites.

The clinics required immediate cash payments and relied on falsified urine tests and "over-aggressively interpreted" medical imaging to justify prescribing medically unnecessary drugs, the indictment said.

Local news reports quoted neighbors as saying zombie-like patients often lined up outside the clinics in the morning, waiting for them to open.

"Prescription drug abuse is our country's fastest growing drug problem, and pill mills such as those in Florida are fueling much of that growth," said Michele Leonhart, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Three of the defendants were also charged with conspiring to launder illegal profits and 26 counts of money laundering.

The indictment seeks forfeiture of $22 million of cash and assets, including real estate, a trailer park, two Lamborghinis and 44 other vehicles and boats.

In addition to the six defendants charged in the indictment, doctors and workers were arrested in the raids at clinics in three counties encompassing the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach area.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Tom Fico]

10:53 PM on 03/06/2011

So U.S. Attn Ferrer "estimates" FL prescribes 10 times more oxycodone than all other states combined.....well duh doesn't he know that FL is among the top 3 states in geriatric population? Yes old folks have numerous health issues not the least of which is often PAIN; subacute chronic PAIN. The young Mr. Ferrer has NO idea what constant pain is all about.......he will think you are a "drug seeker" no doubt. Mr. Ferrer has NO idea of how effective oxycondone can be in improving one's quality of life when it seems there's no hope for a person's body riddled with age.. He would likely say he does know and give a story about how his 90 year old grand mama ran a 4k marathon and didn' even need acetominophen. Of course Mr. Ferrer needs to make a name for himself in hope that one day he'll be the first latino supreme court justice. I do wish him luck, yea I do.

[detalumis]

02:35 PM on 02/27/2011

I keep hearing stories like this all the time, but the flip side of the coin and what I personally am familiar with is the under-treatment of real pain by medical doctors. I had two friends die in pain from cancer in the last two years and neither one of them was adequately treated with the net results that both died in pain, major anxiety (no tranquillizers prescribed either) and suffering. I wish I knew where to find all these shady places so that I could have send them there for relief.

[Angry Infidel]

08:47 AM on 02/27/2011

There are numerous unethical doctors out there that get their patients hooked on addictive medications, and they deserve to lose their licenses, but there have been a lot of cases(especially in the Bush days) of DEA agents going after legitimate pain management docs for purely political reasons. Pain management is such a complex issue(which always works well in politics) and it is rather absurd for people who have no idea what chronic pain is like to be legislating what an acceptable dosage is for someone in excruciating pain.

I guess I just don't understand why this is such a big deal. If someone abuses Vicodin or sleeping pills, why do we care? As long as they obey the law, it really isn't the government's business, any more then it is for the numerous people who abuse alcohol.

[Kuncous]

11:07 PM on 02/26/2011

They are targeting people cutting into the pockets of pfizer, but not pfizer! Such horseshit. Live ane let live we all have vices what can one expect in today's world.... Hate cops!

[Jazmo]

05:07 PM on 02/24/2011

Proud to be a Floridian.

[iblogleft]

03:57 PM on 02/24/2011

Now maybe they will go after the other 99% of these guys... Do not hold your breath.

[chiodo08]

02:47 PM on 02/24/2011

Florida has become the drain of the America...with a perfect Governor to represent

[cleanser]

01:47 AM on 02/25/2011

That perfect Governor is also blocking a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) from taking place in Florida. Something that would pharmacists and doctors identify potential drug abusers from people who really need pain management.

[chiodo08]

09:16 AM on 02/25/2011

I know...that's why he represents the 2 dimensional Hate America Republican brand well...I know sooo many people looking to get out of this white tr@sh state...

[Tom Fico]

09:26 PM on 03/06/2011

An individual's relation with his/her Dr. should not be available for the world to see. Just as "secret military info" was hacked and distributed ala the internet, do you care if your privacy is violated by the DEA gestapo and could be broadcast to the universe. Yes, there's unscrupulous among us who will try to game anything in the quest for wealth and the power it brings........look at the Wall St. clan. But no agency is dogging them or confiscating any of their contraband......OUR Money!

[jokerdanny]

02:09 PM on 02/24/2011

doesn't rush live in south florida?

[GraphicMatt]

12:49 PM on 02/25/2011

Yeah, but he gets his prescription drugs the old fashioned way. He pays his cleaning lady to get them for him.