DEA data show Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were among the top 11 states for prescribing hydrocodone in 2014.

DEA raids clinics, pharmacies in 4 Southern states, has arrested 280 in 16-month crackdown

http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/05/20/dea-wrapping-up-4-state-prescription-southern-drug-crackdown

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Federal agents say they have carried out raids at medical clinics and pharmacies in four Southern states as part of a crackdown intended to help people addicted to prescription drugs.

Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration raided facilities in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday.

They said over the past 16 months, 280 people have been arrested under “Operation Pilluted,” including 22 doctors and pharmacists. The crackdown targeted the illegal sales of painkillers, including oxycodone and hydrocodone.

 DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Brown said the medical professionals arrested had forgotten their pledge to “do no harm.”

Agents in Arkansas raided a medical clinic, detaining seven, and also swept into a pharmacy.

DEA data show Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were among the top 11 states for prescribing hydrocodone in 2014.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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7 Responses

  1. How many legitimate pain refugees did they throw out into the communities?

  2. Most arrested were diverting their medications. That is not helping the cause one bit, only sets things back for those of us that truly need the medication to get out of bed and try our best to make it through the day! What is the DEA supposed to do? Let them sell the pills that may end up in the hands of our kids? I don;t think so. Do No Harm

  3. how do they even know? how do they know those patients want or need their help? who decides how many rx’s is too much? did the DEA actually read each patients’ chart to see if they were being abused by being given pain meds?

    • Well all those states are in the Bible belt. They don’t want you to have anything pharmaceutical to relieve pain. They just think you should prey.

  4. “…as part of a crackdown intended to help people addicted to prescription drugs.”

    I don’t see how this helps people who suffer from addiction. Now with their source cut off, they’ll just move to illegal and unregulated drugs, meaning heroin overdoses in these states will start to increase.

    This is just like what happened in Florida, so pain patients in these states will be suffering even more. I expect the suicide rate to also increase because of the DEA’s actions.

    “Operation Pilluted”

    Who makes up these stupid names? It sounds like something a teenager would come up with.

  5. Yes but what does this have to do with patients who actually need these meds just to survive everyday life? If the DEA knew what was going on then why are they punishing the honest people? It’s a bunch of crap, why I have to now pay more for my medical treatments.

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