Pill Mill Monitor : Personal Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Kay Van Wey Law Firm : Prescription Drug Overdoses & Pharmaceutical Abuse

We, the taxpayers pay an estimated $60 BILLION dollars every year to criminals engaged in health care fraud. A new study reveals that the government (that's us the hard working taxpayer) is getting robbed blind over fraudulent prescriptions for addictive drugs.

U.S. Senator Tom Carper , Democrat from Delaware called for an investigation. The results  and the report are astonishing.  The gist of it is that the government has not been checking to make sure the provider numbers on the prescriptions are valid or accurate. Furthermore, pharmacies have been pushing through prescriptions that lacked the requisite valid prescriber number. Therefore, criminals have been able to bilk us out of millions over fake prescriptions.

I was alarmed to read a quote from a government  spokesman who essentially said the government operated on blind trust. According to Peter Ashkenaz a spokesman for the Office of Inspector General (OIG),

"In the past the plan[medicare and medicaid] operated with the belief that everybody is honest. When we identify ways of finding who the bad actors are, then we take the steps to tighten it up.”

As it turns out, the study revealed that the government cannot even identify who the top prescribers of addictive drugs are. Not only would this help root out medicare and medicaid fraud, but it could also identify pill mills and keep addictive dangerous drugs off the streets.

 “Just as the disturbing as the potential misuse of taxpayer dollars is the threat that these vulnerabilities pose to American communities struggling with illegal drug use,” Senator Carper.

I totally agree with Senator Carper. You see, it's not just the millions of dollars that are stolen from taxpayers, but think of where these drugs are going? We know there is a high demand and high street value for prescription drugs like oxycontin, xanax, hydrocodone, ritalin, soma, methadone, etc. 

Shutting down pill mills and getting dangerous prescription drugs off the streets saves lives.

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With the recent rash of celebrity overdose deaths, Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the prescription drug addiction epidemic which is ravaging this country and claiming the lives of her citizens.

According to the CDC,

The mortality rates from unintentional drug overdose (not including alcohol) have risen steadily since the early 1970s, and over the past ten years they have reached historic highs.

The CDC also added that drug overdose deaths are now 4 to 5 times higher than the death rates during the black tar heroin epidemic in the mid-1970s and more than twice what they were during the peak years of crack cocaine in the early 1990s. Currently, people in the 45-54 age group now die of drug overdoses more often than from traffic crashes.

The most common drugs found on autopsy in drug overdose deaths are called narcotics, usually prescription painkillers called opioids.  OxyContin , Vicodin  and  Lortab are examples of opioid painkillers. Methadone is also now widely used as a painkiller in addition to its use for treatment of addiction. Another drug commonly associated with drug overdose deaths is a group of drugs called sedatives like Xanax and Valium. Soma, a powerful muscle relaxer is often in the mix.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, more than 6 million Americans are  currently abusing prescription drugs—that is more than the number of Americans abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined. With more current users, we can expect the mortality rates from prescription drug overdose deaths to continue to rise.

The victims are not what many might perceive as a bum living under a bridge. These are our sons and daughters, parents, teachers and neighbors. It affects everyone from the high profile celebrity to the ordinary American.

A multi-pronged approach is needed to address this problem. But, recognition of the problem is a good place to start. It is unfortunate that it took several high profile cases to bring the problem into the public's eye. But, now that we know, we cannot turn a blind eye. The time is now to begin a dialogue about how to best address this killer epidemic.

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According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, more than 6 million Americans are currently abusing prescription drugs.

This begs the question: Where are these estimated 6 million people getting a steady supply of prescription drugs to feed their addiction?

Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry itself is largely to blame. There is built in profit motive for doctor's who prescribe, pharmacists who fill and companies that distribute prescription drugs.

In order to prescribe or dispense controlled substances, healthcare providers are required to obtain a license issued by the Drug Enforcement Agency. By law, persons who maintain a DEA license  must not divert or assist in the diversion of drugs for illicit purposes.

Many healthcare providers are vigilant in preventing the diversion and abuse of
controlled substances.  However, there are physicians, pharmacists and others in the distribution chain who become involved in diverting prescription drugs for financial gain. The most common method is through "pill mills". This involves setting up a clinic where doctors see large volumes of patients, ask few questions and prescribe large quantities and combinations of controlled substances.

The prescriptions themselves are only worth the paper they are written on until a pharmacist agrees to fill them. Pharmacists have an independent duty to ensure that prescriptions are written for a valid medical purpose and to refuse to fill them if they are not. Unfortunately, there are pharmacies who are perfectly willing to turn their heads and fill prescriptions which they know, or should know are not written for a valid medical purpose.

The wholesale distributor who supplies the pharmacy with it's controlled substances also has a duty to know their customer. Wholesalers need to develop  systems for evaluating and monitoring the flow of controlled substances. Unfortunately, there is a financial disincentive to do so in the minds of some wholesalers because they and their sales staff are compensated based upon the volume of drugs they distribute.

Likewise, the manufacturer of the narcotics is in the business of selling drugs. They have become increasingly sophisticated at educating the public about the perceived need for their drugs. Many of us have grown up in the era where there is a pill for anything and everything. Let's face it: prescription drugs are  a multiple billion dollar industry. 

I don't pretend to be an expert in economics, but it seems that some rather favorable market conditions exist. There is certainly a market for the drugs ..... 6 million and growing according to the DEA.  There is certainly ample supply. There are financial opportunities for virtually everyone involved in manufacturing, distributing, dispensing and prescribing the controlled substances. 

In my view, until we make diverting prescription drugs unprofitable, the problem will continue to claim the lives of our citizens. Greed has created a lot of this problem. Business opportunities abound. As long as money is flowing, people will continue to place their pocketbooks over their conscience.

Civil lawsuits have always been the great equalizer. In this country, an individual or group of individuals can take on our most powerful citizens and corporations in order to expose wrongdoing. The culprits need to be exposed and held accountable. Throughout history, lawsuits have forced tobacco companies, HMO's, automobile manufacturers, and others to change their practices. The prescription drug industry has not been publicly outed or held accountable for the fortunes they have reaped over the diversion of prescription drugs. Now is the time for change.

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