Florida Pain Management Clinics Face Strict Regulations

Last year, new pain management and prescription laws were enacted in Florida in an effort to control drug trafficking in the state. Severe penalties were put into place for physicians in such clinics found to be over-prescribing painkillers. A special Florida law enforcement drug team was created by the state's governor to find and eliminate any pain management clinics found to be engaging in prescription drug abuse practices. Since the implementation of the new regulations, thousands of arrests have been made and millions of prescription painkillers have been seized. Per statistics reported by National Public Radio in an article entitled "The Oxy Express," Florida doctors prescribed ten times more oxycodone pain pills than all other states in the nation combined prior to the crackdown.

These pain clinics were often visited by people from all over the Southeast who would come to Florida for such prescriptions, which resulted in the term "pillbilly" to describe them. Such individuals would receive a cursory exam and then receive pain pill prescriptions, which they could fill on the premises of the pain clinic itself, in some cases. The new restrictions, which are still being enforced vigorously throughout the state, can result in six month license suspensions and fines of up to $10,000 as minimum penalties for licensed health professionals who violate the regulations. As part of the new regulations, the Florida Department of Health identified all those practitioners who bought more than an average of 2,000 Schedule II or Schedule III painkiller doses per month so as to determine whether they posed a danger to public health.

Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Firm

Drug crimes are common criminal offenses in Florida, whether based on illegal street drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines or prescription medicines prescribed or used in an unauthorized manner. If you are facing drug crime charges, whether as a health care professional or a consumer, you should exercise your legal right to remain silent and to be represented by a qualified attorney.

The criminal defense law firm of Hager & Schwartz, P.A. has been recognized for the quality of its legal representation to clients in all types of criminal charges, including those involving drug offenses. The legal team, comprised of former state prosecutors, has extensive experience in handling difficult and complex cases. Find out how an experienced criminal defense attorney at the firm can help you. Contact the law offices for a consultation about your case today.