In an unprecedented act, a national pharmacy chain has informed a small number of Florida doctors, including a few in Orlando, that any prescriptions written for certain pain killing drugs (Schedule II narcotics) will not be filled by the pharmacy.
In late 2011, CVS/pharmacy sent an unsigned letter to these doctors notifying them of the decision. What was not stated in the letter is why the pharmacy made the decision was made.
However, an article in the Orlando Sentinel notes that Florida, in years past, did little to regulate pain clinics and this attracted abusers and dealers of prescription drugs to the state. And in July of 2011, the state enacted more restrictive controls over the dispensing of pain killers and imposed stiffer penalties on doctors who violate state drug control laws.
The Orlando Sentinel also notes that several of the Florida doctors that received letters from CVS/pharmacy, including five in the greater Orlando-area, have previously been arrested for crimes relating to prescription drugs and/or medical malpractice.
But, not all of the doctors that received letters have been arrested. One such doctor feels that CVS/pharmacy is “blacklisting” certain doctors and is fighting back. This particular doctor has filed a defamation lawsuit claiming that the pharmacy is “falsely implying” that the doctor is practicing medicine “unethically or illegally.”
By not filling certain prescriptions from a number of doctors, the pharmacy does more than just, in the words of one of the doctors, “blacklist” the doctors that received letters, the pharmacy may be preventing many Floridians who live with pain from the prescription medications they so desperately need.
Andrew Moses
Andrew has been practicing criminal law his entire career. After graduating from law school he began working as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting cases in Orange and Osceola Counties. During his time as an Assistant State Attorney, Andrew handled all types of cases ranging from misdemeanors to such serious felonies as drug trafficking and armed robbery. His experience as a prosecutor helped him gain perspective of the criminal justice system and how the government established its cases.
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