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Accusations of prescription drug fraud may damage your career

by | Dec 27, 2017 | blog, Firm News

When many people think of drug crimes, the first thoughts that come to mind may relate to buying marijuana, cocaine trafficking, possession offenses or similar violations. However, many various activities could potentially fall into the category of drug crimes. In some cases, officials may suspect individuals of illegal drug-related activity, and it could potentially come as a considerable surprise. As a doctor, you may have found yourself feeling this surprise after facing accusations of prescription drug fraud.

Now that you face charges, you may have many questions about the suspected fraudulent activity. You may wonder how you could handle your case and what impacts these allegations could have on your professional career. Unfortunately, this type of situation can have severe effects, and you should take accusations of drug fraud seriously.

Prescription fraud

Many individuals attempt to obtain some outcome through fraudulent means. In some cases, parties may attempt to obtain money, lines of credit or, as mentioned, drugs. The lengths people may go to in order to carry out their fraudulent actions can prove quite extensive, and you could potentially end up caught in the crossfire unexpectedly.

When patients become addicted to certain medications, they often attempt to gain more prescriptions through fraudulent means. They could visit multiple doctors in hopes of obtaining prescriptions from each physician, or visit the same doctor frequently and complain of new or worsening symptoms in hopes of gaining more medicine. If you believe your patients’ concerns to be genuine, you may write more prescriptions.

Causes of suspicion

Depending on the area of medicine in which you work, you may need to prescribe various pain relievers, muscle relaxers, opioids and similar medications. If your prescribing history shows a high volume of these drugs going out to patients, you could come under suspicion of prescription drug fraud. As a result, an investigation could begin, and if investigators find any irregularities in your records, authorities may feel that charges for prescription drug fraud are warranted.

Defending against charges

Accusations of fraud can leave you reeling. You may have felt that you acted in the best interests of your patients and believe that you do not deserve the allegations brought against you. If so, you may wish to work toward creating a meaningful criminal defense against such allegations in hopes of achieving your desired outcomes. Consulting with a California attorney regarding your options may prove useful.