DEA Blocks The Distribution of Controlled Substances

Attached a link to an interesting article titled "DEA blocks controlled-substance distribution at Florida Walgreens facility" reporting that " U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Friday banned a Walgreens distribution center in Jupiter from dispensing controlled substances to its pharmacies in Florida and the East Coast, saying the business constituted an "imminent danger" to the public. The DEA said that since 2009, the Jupiter distribution center has been the single-largest distributor of oxycodone products in Florida. An immediate suspension order alleges the distribution center did not have effective controls against the illegal use of controlled substances, DEA reports." The Jupiter facility is one of 12 Walgreens distribution centers, the DEA reports. The DEA served an administrative inspection warrant at the facility in April, as well as its top six retail pharmacies in Florida. One of those was at the Walgreens on Lockwood Boulevard in Oviedo. DEA said the Oviedo pharmacy ordered about 80,900 oxycodone units from the Jupiter distribution center in 2009. By 2011, that spiked to nearly 1.7 million units. In 2010, three Walgreens pharmacies were in the top 100 purchasers of oxycodone in Florida, DEA reports. Last year, 38 Walgreens pharmacies made the top 100, and six of those were in the top 10. A Walgreen spokesman responded that Walgreens has taken steps since mid-2011 to enhance monitoring and reporting criteria and that these actions have resulted in a 35 percent drop in the number of tablets dispensed by our pharmacies in Florida for the most commonly abused pain management drug between June 2011 and March 2012. In my opinion the DEA is correct in taking this drastic measures in order to curb the flood of Oxycodone prescriptions on the open market. Nevertheless, we also should ascertain the continuous supply of Oxycodone containing products for those patients with legitimate medical. This could be achieved by enrolling those patients in a chronic pain management program monitored by the prescribing physician to assure appropriate dosing, and the prevention of abuse and diversion. This would include the mandatory use of the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This epidemic can be contained and the quality and safety of medical care must be assured. Yours Bernd Happy and Sweet New Year Shana Tova ve Metukah