The recent arrest of a Louisiana woman has again raised the concern that many have about the abuse of prescription drugs in the country. However, on a personal level, the accused woman may be facing a difficult future because of the drug charges she now faces. Conviction for drug crimes may mean a long prison term and the end of life as she knows it.
The woman has been released on $105,000 bond after being arrested on multiple charges of prescription medication fraud. Police were alerted to the alleged crimes by the woman’s roommate, who claimed to find a prescription bottle with his name on it. Since he had apparently never had a prescription for that drug, he called the police and told them he believed the woman was writing false prescriptions. When police searched her house, they reportedly found a number of blank prescriptions and drugs linked to three different physicians.
Police say the doctors denied writing prescriptions for the woman, and all three agreed to press charges. One physician also told police that the woman was the office manager at his practice, meaning she was responsible for maintaining his Drug Enforcement Agency license and other certifications in the state of Louisiana. The woman is accused of fraudulently filling and refilling four prescription-only drugs 21 times in the course of 2 1/2 years. The drugs she allegedly possessed were mostly for treating anxiety and depression.
It is likely that this woman has obtained legal counsel to help her fight the drug charges. Her attorney may investigate the accusations of the roommate and his motivation for turning her in to authorities. There also may be questions about the search warrant and the understanding the woman had about her role as office manager to the physician. After considering these and other elements, the attorney will know best how to proceed with her defense.
Source: thenewsstar.com, “Woman faces 21 charges of fraudulent prescriptions“, Ashley Mott, Sept. 9, 2016