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DEA Investigates Tennessee County for High Number of Opioid Prescriptions

October 23, 2018

Consistent with the current’s administration directive to try to file more opioid whistleblower lawsuits under the False Claims Act (FCA) and other statutes, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that they had initiated an official investigation into a high rate of prescription opioids being ordered by pharmacies in a certain Tennessee County. According to data collected by the DEA, painkiller prescriptions in the county reached a level that would provide every person in the county, including children, a total of 270 tablets during the year 2017. That may be a heckuva party for some, but one needs to see the wake of broken lives in the hangover.

Tennessee County Under Investigation

Clay County, forming part of the Tennessee County, is a very small area with only one single city, known as Celina. The county has a population of only 7,800 citizens. Celina is home to only four pharmacies in total, as well as a couple of churches, a few diners, and a number of antique shops. Everything in this rustic town echoes shadows of the past where it really is located in walking distance.

What triggered an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration is the fact that 1.5 million painkillers were purchased in 2017 by the four pharmacies that are found in Celina. According to the DEA investigators, this is an alarmingly high number of prescription painkillers purchased by the four pharmacies, especially considering the fact that the population of the city is so low. After some calculation, they found that the 1.5 million prescription pills would equal 270 pills for every single person who is part of the city – including the youth and children.

Anderson Hometown Pharmacy was investigated on the 27th of August. The other pharmacies that are part of the city are also being investigated at the moment, as well as the doctors in town that are prescribing these drugs to patients.

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The owner of the pharmacy explained to federal agents who led the investigation that the aging population and workforce of the town was what led to the increased need for pain medication. This, however, still doesn’t explain why 1.5 million prescription-level painkillers were bought in just one year.

Further investigations are still ongoing to help federal agents find more information in regards to the case and to help them point down parties that might be involved in possibly illicit activities.

Conclusion

The investigation that is currently in an ongoing in Tennessee County will continue until the DEA can make a more definite determination on why prescriptions have reached such a high level. Employees at doctors and pharmacies may come forward in the meantime and blow the whistle, which would allow the DEA to obtain data on why prescription numbers are so high. If you find yourself in a situation where a doctor, specialist, or a pharmacy you are employed at conducts itself  in an unlawful manner, you should get in touch with  whistleblower lawyer such as Jason T. Brown at Brown, LLC, who is a Former FBI Special Agent and whose qui tam law firm is experienced in dealing with whistleblower cases.