Not all drug charges involve prohibited substances such as marijuana — with the exception of medical marijuana in some states — heroin or cocaine. Some drug charges involve completely legal prescription drugs, but the charges come from how or who is using or possessing the drugs. For example, a person using an ADHD medication prescribed to another person could be charged with possession charges.
A Dekalb County clinic was recently accused of operating as a “pill mill” or a clinic that distributes medications to those that do not have a medically necessary reason to receive the drugs or in doses that exceed the amount necessary to treat their condition. Two co-owners of the clinic were arrested this past month on intent to distribute, and now a doctor was arrested this month and charged with a similar offense.
The first arrests were made when the clinic was raided by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency on June 14. The investigation did not end upon the arrest of the co-owners but continued as the federal agency used their vast resources to gather evidence and build a case against the doctor who is licensed as a gynecologist with staff privileges at South Fulton Hospital. The doctor was specifically arrested on the charge of conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone.
Officials say that these clinics are considered pain management clinics in which people come from several surrounding states to seek prescription medications for serious addictions. Officials blame the issue on a lack of strict regulations governing these types of clinics.
How pain is treated through clinics such as this one has become a hotly debated topic and there is a grey area between what is considered necessary treatment of pain and illegal prescriptions. This grey area is precisely why it is vitally important for someone who faces related drug charges to seek the assistance of an experienced defense attorney who can put on a meaningful defense against the accusations.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “DEA arrests doctor at Dekalb clinic previously raided,” Christopher Hong, July 3, 2012
