Houston Pill Mills targeted
The Houston Chronicle recently reported a story of alleged pill mills (S&G Medical Clinic, Texas Medicine Direct, and Uptown Medical Clinic) which stand accused of distributing large quantities of Vicodin, Xanax and Soma without a valid medical purpose.
Dr. Nancy Sellars of Houston has been charged with engaging in organized crime and practicing medicine without a license at S&G Medical Clinic at 9110 Jones Road. See a copy of the Complaints [PDF]. Non-licensed personnel were allegedly filling out pre-signeded medical prescriptions for a variety of medicines, the majority of which were the commonly abused "cocktail" of Vicodin, Soma and Xanax. Dr. Sellars was disciplined by the Texas Medical Board in 2001 after pleading guildy to fraudulenty prescribing controlled substances. See a copy of the Agreed Order [PDF].
A non-physician , Barry Ransom, 51, the owner of Texas Medicine Direct on Interstate 10, has been charged with engaging in organized crime through knowingly delivering a prescription for other than a valid medical purpose in the course of professional practice. See a copy of the Complaint [PDF]. According to public records, Ransom has numerous prior convictions, including a conviction for possession of a weapon (1981), controlled substance felony convictions (1983, 1986), a conviction for possession of marijuana (2007), and a charge for driving while intoxicated, dismissed because Ransom was convicted on another count (1981). In April, he was charged with yet another drug offense.
According to the complaint against Dr. Sellars,
The "cocktail" Vicodin, Soma and Xanax are the most commonly abused narcotics in the houston area.
Vicodin abuse has surpassed the illcit use of marijuana in the Greater houston area.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office has directly attributed 111 deaths from June 2009 to December 2009 as related to the overdose of the narcotics included in the "cocktail."
At least two of the deaths have been directly linked to prescription sissued by Dr. Christina Clardy (Medical Director of S&G Clinic and Uptown Medical Clinic).
Dr. Clardy, 61, who lives in West University, was charged in March with engaging in organized crime at S&G Clinic and the Uptown Medical Clinic. See a copy of the Complaint [PDF].
According to the Complaint against Dr. Christina Clarda,
Christina Clardy admitted that she knew that the prescription forms that she signed for uptown Medical Clinic were not used for medical purposes
During the 11 days the Uptown Medical Clinic was open, they had seen 171 patients
The patients came from all over the country, including New York, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin and Texas
Over 95% of the patient's diagnosis was "lumbar"
There were no refills cirlced on the prescriptions which creates a monthly client for the clinic, which is not typical for a therapeutic medical purpose
The clinic did not accept medical insurance, Medicare or Medicaid and only accepted cash as a form of payment, which is a common scheme for a clinic operating for purposes of illicit distribution of prescription drugs to stay off the radar and prevent being shut down by the Dexas Department of Public Safety who regulates such businesses
According to authorities, the clinics were responsible for illegally distributing more than 3 million tablets of Vicodin, Xanax and Soma in 2009, and before they recently shut down, they were on pace to distribute 5 million this year. The two operations grossed over $1.4 million last year alone, according to Deutsch.
We are relieved to see that law enforcement is addressing the rampant pill mill problem which exists in Houston and throughout Southeast Texas.
