In California, pharmacies and dispensaries are often the origin of serious drug infractions. These infractions involve narcotics stored within these areas. Too often pharmacists are involved in these criminal acts and face high penalties. The New York Law Firm provide legal help for these professional.
What are Drug Diversions?
Drug diversions are essentially the distribution of prescription medications to a party that isn't the patient for which it was prescribed. The pharmacist provides a different medication to the patient and transfers the real medication to another party. This action occurs often for financial gains as the intercepting party provides a kickback for providing the narcotic without a prescription.
Complaints about receiving the wrong medication or placebo mount over time. As these complaints grow in numbers, the employer starts an investigation. They'll start monitoring the pharmacist and all patients they have served to find the pattern. Once they discover who is conducting the drug diversions, they press charges.
Drug Addiction and Theft
Drug addiction leads the pharmacist to steal large quantities of narcotics from the pharmacy. Initially, the theft isn't as obvious. However, as it progresses, the theft is harder to hide. Their employer becomes suspicious and will start reviewing the logs where narcotics were checked out of the safe. They'll start reviewing video footage to determine where the drugs are going.
As the investigation continues, the employer builds a case they file a report with law enforcement. The pharmacist or their tech is arrested. They are fired from the pharmacy. In these cases, the pharmacist will receive penalties if convicted. However, they could utilize a plea to enter a treatment program.
This could lead to the loss of their license. If they don't lose their license, they'll find it difficult to obtain employment in the field. Most pharmacies won't hire them due to the potential risks associated with their addiction.
Prescription Tampering
Prescription tampering could lead to drug diversion or personal use of narcotics prescribed by the doctor. In these cases, it is likely that the pharmacist will replace the medication with an alternate drug. They may also provide fewer bills than were prescribed for personal use. In the event you are selling fake, or counterfeit drugs, you could be sued by the victims of these counterfeit goods - who can hire a personal injury attorney in Los Angeles to sue you.
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Additionally, errors in processing liquid medications could produce patient injuries. These circumstances could lead the pharmacy to become the defendant in a medical malpractice lawsuit. In these cases, the medication is compared to the drug that was prescribed by the doctor. Any errors could provide compelling evidence of these wrongdoings.
Distribution of Controlled Substances
Drug trafficking increases probable charges. These circumstances equate to theft of narcotic medications in larger quantities. The pharmacist acquires their supply from the pharmacy. They generate their clientele from patrons and patients who visit the pharmacy frequently. They may also solicit assistance from friends, co-workers, or other that they know.
All pharmacies have logs of incoming and outgoing narcotics. The employer reviews these logs and presents them to law enforcement. They examine them for signs of fraud and tampering. They review invoices from legal suppliers to determine if the pharmacist modified these lists. This helps them identify the exact quantity sold by the pharmacist.
Drug distribution offenses are based on the type of drug that was sold and its quantity. It is these facts that officers need to build the solid case against the accused. Once they secure enough evidence for probable cause, they can arrest the pharmacist. Select officers may also conduct sting operations to catch them in the act.
Filing a False Report
A strategy used by unethical pharmacists is filing a false report. In these instances, the pharmacist stages the scene of a burglary to imply that the drugs were stolen. However, when this happens numerous times it brings up suspicions. When this happens, more in-depth assessments are conducted. This could lead to criminal charges for the pharmacist or their employees. Excessive insurance claims for these losses could raise red flags for insurers as well.
In California, pharmacists and techs could face criminal charges based on suspicion of criminal behaviors and acts. These events could include suspicion of drug diversion, theft, drug abuse, and prescription tampering. If a patient injury occurs, a medical malpractice is also likely. Pharmacists or techs facing these charges contact the New York Law Firm for legal assistance now.