Drug Enforcement Administration News

U.S. Supreme Court Mulls ‘Pill Mill’ Doctors’ Opioid Convictions

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with the circumstances under which doctors can be convicted of operating as drug dealers under the cover of their medical practices to illegally distribute opioid painkillers and other dangerous narcotics. The justices heard …

Michigan’s McLaren to Pay $7.7M to Resolve Alleged Drug Violations

McLaren Health Care Corp. has agreed to pay the federal government more than $7.7 million to resolve alleged violations of provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. The civil settlement was announced by the U.S. attorneys in Grand Rapids and Detroit, …

Trump Administration Proposes Curbs on Opioid Manufacturers

The U.S. government on Tuesday proposed tightening rules governing the amount of prescription opioid painkillers that drugmakers can manufacture in a given year, in hopes of reining in the deadly opioid epidemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s proposed changes to its …

New Hampshire House Committee Rejects Marijuana Legalization Bill

A bill that would legalize marijuana in New Hampshire has been rejected by a House committee. The Concord Monitor reports the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Tuesday voted not to recommend the bill to the House. Under the …

Five Rhode Island Residents Charged in Fake Opioid Prescription Scheme

Federal authorities say five Rhode Island residents have been charged with participating in a scheme to create fake prescriptions for opioid pills and occasionally use medical insurance to pay for those prescriptions. The U.S attorney’s office said Friday that the …

84-Year-Old Florida Doc Accused of Illegally Distributing $10M in Pain Pills

Authorities say an 84-year-old Florida doctor is accused of illegally distributing $10 million worth of pain pill prescriptions. Dr. Williem Ouw was arrested June 15 and held in a Fort Lauderdale jail until his release Wednesday on a $500,000 bond. …

Prescription Drug Crisis Fueling Robberies of Georgia Pharmacies

A wave of break-ins and robberies of Georgia pharmacies is being fueled by a drug epidemic, authorities said. In June, a thief with a sledgehammer broke into a Snellville pharmacy and stole thousands of dollars worth of pain pills and …

South Carolina Sees Nearly as Many Opioid Deaths as Traffic Accidents in 2015

Experts are warning about the dangers of opioid and heroin abuse in South Carolina, pointing out that almost as many people die from overdoses of such drugs as are killed in accidents each year on the state’s highways. During a …

DEA ‘Operation Pilluted’ Nets 280 Drug Trafficking Arrests in 4 States

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal prosecutors have made 280 arrests in what they call an “unprecedented enforcement action” against doctors, pharmacies and pill mills for alleged trafficking and abuse of prescription drugs. The 15-month operation, dubbed Operation …

CVS Shuts Access to Opioid Painkillers for Suspect Doctors

CVS Caremark Corp said on Wednesday that it has taken the unusual step of cutting off access to powerful painkillers for more than 36 doctors and other healthcare providers found to prescribe the drugs at an alarmingly high rate. The …