By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
There’s a firefight brewing between Walgreens and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On October 10, 2012, Walgreens filed a petition asking a federal judge to lift the Immediate Suspension Order (ISO) that bans its distribution center in Jupiter, Florida, from shipping controlled substances to its stores in Florida and on the East Coast.
Back on September 14, 2012, the DEA issued an ISO on the distribution center, calling it an “imminent danger” to the public. Click here to read a blog I previously wrote when the DEA issued the ISO.
Walgreens Claims the DEA Ignored Relevant Information.
In its petition, Walgreens claims the DEA ignored and “conspicuously omitted” recent and relevant information in its ISO. The pharmacy said it took voluntary steps designed to address concerns about the number of new prescriptions for controlled substances presented by pain clinic patients. Earlier this year the company also voluntarily stopped selling all Schedule II drugs, including OxyContin, at eight pharmacies that were of concern to the DEA and that were serviced by the Jupiter distribution center. Walgreens claims as a result of these efforts, the number of oxycodone pills and pain clinic prescriptions filled in recent months is an extremely small percent of the 2011 numbers, on which DEA relied upon to issue the ISO.
Walgreens is asking the federal appeals court to clear the ISO against the distribution center.
To see the Orlando Sentinel article, click here.
Numbers Released for Mean Nothing.
In an earlier blog I wrote that according to the DEA, six of Walgreens’ Florida pharmacies allegedly ordered more than a million oxycodone pills a year. That number might seem big at first, but after breaking it down, it’s actually not all that scary. You have to remember that Walgreens is the biggest pharmacy retailer in Florida.
For example, if a doctor issues a pain management patient a prescription for three (3) pills a day, that is approximately 90 pills per month or 1,080 pills per year. If Walgreens has only 1,000 patients with such a prescription in a year throughout the entire state of Florida, that is in excess of one million (1,000,000) pills per year. I would guess that many single Walgreens retail stores have more than 1,000 customers per day, much less all Walgreens stores throughout Florida.
My point is that such statistics are meaningless out of context and are only meant to sound huge if one doesn’t stop and think about it.
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The Health Law Firm represents pharmacists and pharmacies in DEA investigations, regulatory matters, licensing issues, litigation, administrative hearings, inspections and audits. The firm’s attorneys include those who are board certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law as well as licensed health professionals who are also attorneys.
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Comments?
What do you think of the appeal? Should the DEA have taken this action against Walgreens? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.
Source:
Pavul, Amy. “Walgreens Fights Back Against DEA, Wants Ban at Florida Distribution Center Lifted.” Orlando Sentinel. (October 11, 2012). From: ttp://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-walgreens-dea-oxycodone-20121011,0,1860346.story
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620. He does not own stock in Walgreens or any other pharmacy.
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
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