PHARMACISTS are among the 60 US healthcare professionals facing prosecution over alleged health care fraud and opioid peddling.
US Assistant Attorney General, Brian Benczkowski warned the Department of Justice intended to exert the full force of the law on the seven pharmacists identified by the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force.
The cases relate to 350,000 unusual prescriptions and 32 million opioid pills.
"You can rest assured when medical professionals behave like drug dealers, the Department of Justice is going to treat them like drug dealers," Benczkowski said.
National Public Radio reported that strike force identified unusual prescribing practices by 31 doctors, including cases where some were writing "inordinately large quantities, 100 prescriptions per day" or other suspicious activities, including scripts being provided without any evidence that patients had been physically examined.
In one case a doctor "had a pharmacy operating outside his own waiting room", the broadcaster reported.
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