A 39 y/o woman from Marlborough, MA, was arrested last Wednesday as she apparently wrote more than 185 fake prescriptions over the past 2 years. Local officials said this to be the biggest case of prescription fraud they had ever witnessed. The woman, who had been working for a doctor at Marlborough Medical Group for the last 18 years, was stealing prescriptions with the doctors name on it so she could write scripts for her narcotic pain medications of choice to which she was likely addicted. The last prescription got her arrested and was an attempt to obtain 30 Vicodin tablets at a local Walgreen’s pharmacy. You wonder why she didn’t buy her drugs through the internet? Or maybe she did and just used the fake scripts to compliment her supplies. If so then she is likely pretty shaky during her *sober* stay in the county jail as the case is still under investigation. IMO she would not have put herself at risk this way if it wasn’t for an addition to pain killers which obviously was stronger than she could handle. I therefore hope they won’t lock her up in jail without therapy, but instead offer a constructive solution to help her overcome the addiction and problems that has caused…

The NNICP; National Network for Chronic Intractable Pain, is currently serving patients in Arizona, Virginia, Texas, Nevada, and California. In following compliance with DEA guidelines they can also help you save you lots of money by catering a much more reliable service. Additionally prescriptions from their doctors within your state will be mailed to you so they can be filled at your local pharmacy where prices will be much lower compared to the remaining pharmacies affiliated with traditional online consultation services. If you do not reside in one of the mentioned states you can still register for a consultation as they are quickly expanding and you will be contacted when a doctor near you becomes available to provide pain management for ongoing periods of time without the traditional hassles. 

I found the folllowing statement interesting; the entire story can be found at:

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080102/minorities-less-likely-to-get-powerful-painkillers-in-er.htm

‘White patients received opioid drugs 31 percent of the time, compared to lower rates among blacks (23 percent), Hispanic (24 percent), and other groups such as Asians (28 percent). In 2005, whites received the drugs 40 percent of the time, while all others got them 32 percent of the time. ‘

If you wondered what happened to the man with the 58 pain killers two posts down, you can find an update of what happened at http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/05/Hillsborough/After_2_years_in_pris.shtml .

If I was prescribed 80 tablets of Vicodin over a period of 8 months I am 100% sure that there would not be ANY pills left. Further I think the people who do take their Vicodin so rarely would not have carried a bottle around in their car. Anyways, the man had a legit prescription so why insist on nailing him after serving 2 years in jail already?

The the charge for drug trafficing would completely mess up his life, the police only needs to catch you with a few pills, and without proof of delivery to anyone, they will lock you up for 25 years if they get a chance!!! It doesn’t seem worth the hassle to buy and sell pain pills. If they found several full bottles of Dilaudid, MSIR, Oxycontin or other stronger prescription drugs things would seem different but this is not the case. The man had a legit script so why? They obviously seemed to be for personal use considering that he did not have a larger quantity with him and the number of tablets was uneven.

The part of this article that suprised me most was:

‘Vicodin, the brand name for the painkiller hydrocodone, is widely prescribed and abused. Prosecutors say a single pill can sell for $40 on the street.’

I know a lot of people who have used and are using Vicodin frequently but I can not think of anyone who would pay $40 per tablet. If people could really earn that much selling Vicodin on the street my guess is that there would be an aweful lot of patients trying to sell their monthly 120 tablets and make $4800 each month by just for selling the pills they get for a fraction online. Teenagers would sell the 10 pills they got from the dentist for $400, nice bonus huh?? The truth is that all patients I know use their meds themselves and I truely believe that the amount of Vicodin tablets sold for $40 per tablet can be counted on one hand.

These are the kind of stories and events that make it harder for legit pain patients to obtain their medications. If a physician would read and believe this information it is no wonder that he/she is unwilling to write more than a few to chronic pain patient looking for some relief…

I found this post in a newsgroup today and am really happy for this guy no charges were pressed although this seems a rare exeption these days ;) I really wonder what the district attorney will do, with the crackdowns on abuse of this kind of medications it would seem pretty weird if they let this one go… If anyone has an update or comment on this case please post your reply.

- A senior pharmacist accused of stealing 1,100 pills from his workplace to fuel a suspected drug addiction won’t be fired, according to the hospital that employs him, but he may face legal charges.

The 36-year-old Fond du Lac man allegedly took 880 Vicodin painkiller pills and 220 Ambien sleeping pills from the St. Agnes Hospital between July and December, according to a Fond du Lac police report. The pills have an estimated wholesale cost of $2,000.

The hospital and police have been investigating since a pharmacy employee reported the missing pills to police Dec. 17, the report said. Agnesian HealthCare reported Thursday it would not prosecute the man, although the district attorney could still seek charges.

The hospital chose not to press charges because it tries “to help employees who are coping with personal issues get the help they need,” hospital spokeswoman Ann Brantmeier said.

According to the police report, the man admitted he started stealing the pills about two years ago to help him cope with pain from surgery. He said he became addicted and stole about four pills a day, the report said.

The man denied selling or distributing any of the drugs, the report said.

Brantmeier said the man is still employed there and is receiving assistance for his addiction.

25 Years in Prison for Possession of a Prescription Drug with Legit Prescription

Jurors have convicted Mark O’Hara of trafficking hydrocodone and a judge sent him to prison for a mandatory 25 years. Mark O’Hara swore he had a legal prescription and his doctor and pharmacist backed his story at trial.

If you are using a prescription medication and you live in Florida BEWARE!!! You can end up in prison for life even if your prescription medications are obtained through legit doctors and pharmacies!!!

For more details follow the link below. Fight for your rights and freedom by posting your comments!

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/07/19/Hillsborough/Man_with_prescription.shtml

Nurses Aide Arrested
WNEP-TV - Scranton, PA, USA
Investigators said she took Alzheimers patients’ Vicodin and replaced it with extra-strength Tylenol, keeping the prescription painkillers for herself. …

O¹side doc charged with drug trafficking
Oceanside/Island Park Herald - Oceanside/Island Park, NY, USA
… and the agents seized a computer, financial records and prescriptions for OxyContin and Vicodin, another prescription pain medication, authorities said. …

Oxycontin Manufacturer Agrees to Plead Guilty and Pay Fine of …
InjuryBoard.com - Tampa, FL, USA
… claimed that its time-release formulation would pose a lower threat of abuse and addiction than other painkillers including Percocet or Vicodin….  

Do rules hamper remedies for pain?
Seattle Times - Seattle, WA, USA
… can’t find a doctor in Washington willing to prescribe her opioids, the strongest class of painkillers, including morphine, OxyContin and Vicodin….