Thursday, Jul 30, 2009 @09:43pm CST
The Los Angeles Times is reporting Michael Jackson used a number of different alias's to get his prescription drugs. KOLR/KSFX found that people trying to fake prescriptions in our area is a big problem. Pharmacists say not only are people using fake names they are posing as fake people to get those prescriptions.
Rob Shockley oversees St.John's pharmacies. These days his team of pharmacists have a lot more cut out for them. "The drug seekers or the frequent flyers are getting a lot more clever," explains Shockley. He says people will use fake names, but he says people are pretending to be doctors and nurses calling in prescriptions with legit medical information.
"If they know the DEA number, which is a number specific for each individual medical doctor, its very hard to detect," adds Shockley.
In the last couple of weeks pharmacists at St. Johns say they have caught three people calling in fake prescriptions for hydrocodone and one person was arrested. "Lots of time people will steal prescription pads out of the doctors office," adds Shockley.
"If they know the DEA number, which is a number specific for each individual medical doctor, its very hard to detect," adds Shockley.
In the last couple of weeks pharmacists at St. Johns say they have caught three people calling in fake prescriptions for hydrocodone and one person was arrested. "Lots of time people will steal prescription pads out of the doctors office," adds Shockley.
So some doctors have started drug testing their patients. Making sure the drugs are in their system and not on the streets. Doctors are also turning away from paper and switching to electronically filing their prescriptions to pharmacies. Of course checking id's never hurts.
"If you tell them to bring photo id then lots of times they won't show up," explains Shockley.
A pharmacy hotline is set up in Springfield which connects pharmacies and allows them to alert each other about suspicious people. Working even harder to filter out the fakes, so drugs don't end up in the wrong hands.
The Springfield Police narcotics division says fake prescriptions is one of its biggest problems. In the last 30 days its taken seven reports of people trying to pass off fake prescriptions and that's just the ones the pharmacy's called in. Prescription fraud is a felony and can carry a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a fine. But some experts say if its your first offense you could get probation but would probably have to go into a drug treatment program.
Fake Prescriptions a Problem in the Ozarks
