Rick Scott Offers Update in the Fight Against Pill Mills

Gov. Rick Scott insisted on Monday that the state government was winning the war against pill mills, noting that there were almost 940 arrests since he set up a strike force in March. So far, the state has arrested 17 doctors, taken more than 252,000 pills and confiscated almost $1.7 million in assets.

This is what is possible when we target the source of the problem: bad doctors at the top of the pill mill supply chain, said Scott at a press conference in South Florida. By attacking the problem at the source, Floridas law enforcement officers have made a dramatic impact. I commend Attorney General Bondi, Commissioner Bailey, and all the sheriffs, state troopers and police officers who are part of this effort.

Florida law enforcement has launched a focused attack, said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey.We have major investigations open in every region of the state and we are systematically taking down pill mills, rounding up street traffickers, and putting overprescribing doctors out of business.

The state unveiled the 2010 Florida Medical Examiners Commission Report on Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons which examined more than 9,000 drug-related deaths in the state last year, and found that 5,647 people died with one or more prescription drugs in their system.

The severity of this epidemic cannot be overstated, said Dr. Frank Farmer, the state surgeon general. DOH is committed to suspending and revoking the licenses of unscrupulous practitioners who inappropriately prescribe highly addictive controlled substances to patients, with the hopes of stopping countless senseless deaths in our state.