Law enforcement has begun cracking down on pill mills throughout Florida. The definition of a pill mill is a practice where a pharmacist or doctor dispenses prescription medication in an inappropriate and illegal manner.
Doctors should be wary of becoming involved in a pill mill. Provided here is all the basic information you need to know about this illegal practice.
Signs
Community members can easily recognize when a pill mill has opened up in the neighborhood. Most mills have a strict cash-only policy, which naturally is unusual for a typical doctor’s office. Additionally, they do not retain medical records for people who come in. Additional signs include:
- Security guards are out front
- Sole treatment for pain is pills
- Clients can pick their own medication
- Doctors do not give physical exams
Most of the time, licensed doctors do not run these mills, but there have been cases of it happening. In many cases, the doctor who runs the mill lost his or her license in another state and had to move to Florida to do business. There is an opioid epidemic occurring throughout the United States, and these drug mills play a fairly large role in its spread.
Consequences
Federal law considers running a pill mill as drug trafficking. This is a felony offense and could result in the convicted party receiving life in prison. In the event the doctor at the mill operates without a license, then he or she will face charges of drug prescription without a license.
Florida’s susceptibility
In recent years, pill mills have popped up throughout Florida and across the Appalachian mountains. This is largely due to the fact that there is minimal prescription medication monitoring in that area. These mills can bring in a lot of money through illegal revenue because the doctors at these mills can charge a ton of money for one bottle of pills.