Sunday, December 8, 2013

Pharmacist indicted in pain drug ring A local pharmacist has voluntarily allowed his license to be suspended after being indicted Oct. 23 as part of a drug ring dealing in painkillers, officials said Monday.

CRANBURY — A local pharmacist has voluntarily allowed his license to be suspended after being indicted Oct. 23 as part of a drug ring dealing in painkillers, officials said Monday.

   Howard Hirsh, 61, of Cranbury was one of three pharmacists working at the Plainfield Pharmacy that agreed this week to have their licenses suspended after being charged Oct. 23 with taking part in a ring of distributing illegal painkillers in Florida, according to a spokesman for the state attorney General’s Office.

   According to officials, Mr. Hirsh and pharmacists Daniel Podell, 87, of Clark and Lawrence Zaslow, 59, of Cherry Hill, worked at the pharmacy which is owned by fellow defendant, and Florida resident, Lana Wiseberg.

   The men allegedly filled thousands of prescriptions for the painkillers oxycodone, hydromorphone and morphine sulfate for pain clinics in Florida connected to Ms. Wiseberg and her family, according to the indictment handed down in the U.S. Southern District of New York court last month.

   The drugs were then allegedly sold in Florida for around $9 per pill, according to the indictment.
   In addition to those named above, another four individuals from Florida, including two relatives of Ms. Wiseberg, were also charged in the conspiracy.

   The licenses were voluntarily suspended pending the outcome of the criminal case, AG office Spokesman Jeff Lamm said Tuesday.

   Mr. Lamm said the agreement spared the defendants of a formal hearing in front of the State Board of Pharmacy.

   The multi-state investigation, involving several federal, state and local agencies, began from information developed by the Divison of Consumer Affairs Enforcement Division, according to Mr. Lamm.

   ”Our Enforcement Bureau investigators through their excellent work helped uncover an illegal scheme that crossed state lines and posed a clear danger to the public’s health and safety. Through proactive educational outreach to the public, including the medical community, and aggressive enforcement actions such as this, the Division of Consumer Affairs is meeting this threat head on,” said Eric T. Kanefsky, Division Director.
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