Latest news with #NationalProviderIdentifier
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After child's drug overdose, Iowa pharmacy is fined $500 for prescription error
Houck Pharmacy of Mason City, Iowa. (Photo via Google Earth) An Iowa pharmacy has been fined $500 for committing an error that resulted in a child's drug overdose. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy recently charged Houck Pharmacy of Mason City with incorrectly compounding a medication resulting in an overdose to a minor patient. The available board records give no indication as to the patient outcome or when the incident occurred. The board charged Houck Pharmacy with five regulatory violations: dispensing an incorrect medication to a patient; failure to comply with regulations related to compounding nonsterile preparations; failure to include all of the required information in compounding records; failure to maintain a perpetual inventory of Schedule II narcotics; and failure to maintain a controlled substance accountability program. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX To resolve the case, Houck Pharmacy has agreed to pay a $500 civil penalty and have its pharmacy license placed on probation for 12 months. In a related matter, Hillary Lee Lunning of Mason City was charged by the board with incorrectly compounding a medication resulting in an overdose to a minor patient. The available board documents give no indication as to where or when the alleged violation occurred, but corporate records indicate Lunning is the president of Houck Drug Co., which operates Houck Pharmacy. Lunning has agreed to pay a $500 civil penalty and have her license placed on probation for one year. A central Iowa pharmacist has agreed to refrain from practicing in Iowa. According to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, Jeffrey Bates of Indianola has agreed to refrain from practicing any aspect of pharmacy in Iowa in order to 'meet the board's interest in protecting the public.' The publicly available board documents provide no information as to what led to the agreement but stipulates that Bates is 'unable to practice' due to an administrative regulation that relates to pharmacists 'diverting prescription drugs from a pharmacy for personal use or for distribution.' Although the board has not disclosed where Bates worked at the time of the alleged regulatory violation, his National Provider Identifier records indicate he has worked at the Hy-Vee pharmacy at 910 N. Jefferson Way in Indianola. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 arrested, accused of running pill mill at Pace Pharmacy: FDLE
PACE, Fla. (WKRG) — Two pharmacists and a pharmacy office manager are accused of running a pill mill at Pace Pharmacy. Perdido Pass shark sightings: watch According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Pace Pharmacy Pharmacists Stephen Allen Burklow and David Barron Winkles, and Pharmacy Office Manager Monique Burklow were arrested and are accused of conspiring to traffic prescription drugs. An FDLE news release said they trafficked over 22 kilograms or 48 pounds of oxycodone, over 26 kilograms or 57 pounds of hydrocodone and just under one kilogram of hydromorphone. Stephen Burklow and Monique Burklow own Pace Pharmacy, LLC, according to FDLE. 'In our communities, there is no room for criminals that greedily profit from the opioid epidemic by trafficking illicit drugs under the guise of a legitimate pharmacy,' FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said. 'I am proud of the complex and dedicated work demonstrated by FDLE's agents, crime intelligence analysts and forensic scientists, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office investigators, and the work of all of our partners to get these thugs off our streets.' Stephen, 54, is accused of conspiracy to traffic oxycodone, conspiracy to traffic hydrocodone, conspiracy to traffic hydromorphone, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and five counts of identity theft. Winkles, 69, is accused of conspiracy to traffic schedule II-controlled substances and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Monique, 58, was arrested on conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to sell controlled substances. The FDLE investigation began in December 2020 when investigators learned Dr. Elaine Sharp, a local obstetrician-gynecologist, was writing an excessive amount of controlled substance prescriptions and recommended her patients to Pace Pharmacy. According to FDLE agents, the Burklows and Winkles accepted and dispensed illicit prescriptions outside of their professional practice and were not intended for medical purposes. 'Mr. Burklow, through the Pace Pharmacy, billed multiple insurance companies, using various physicians' National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers without their knowledge or consent to do so, for prescriptions that may or may not have been provided to patients,' the FDLE release said. The Burklows and Winkles were arrested and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. This investigation included FDLE, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security Investigations. Bears visit a Mobile County yard The investigation remains active. Alexa Daly contributed to this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Owners of Pace Pharmacy arrested on pill mill, drug trafficking allegations
The two owners and an employee of a Pace pharmacy were arrested May 14 on prescription drug trafficking charges, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement news release. Pace Pharmacy pharmacists Stephen Allen Burklow and David Barron Winkles, along with pharmacy office manager Monique Burklow, the were the subject of a multi-year, multi-agency investigation led by FDLE. They are charged with conspiring to traffic prescription drugs including trafficking over 22 kilograms (48 pounds) of oxycodone, over 26 kilograms (57 pounds) of hydrocodone and just shy of one kilogram of hydromorphone, according to FDLE. The Burklows are the owners of Pace Pharmacy LLC. FDLE's investigation began in December 2020, after learning that a local obstetrician-gynecologist, later identified as Dr. Elaine Sharp, was writing an excessive amount of controlled substance prescriptions and recommending her patients fill the prescriptions at Pace Pharmacy. During this same time, FDLE was working jointly with multiple state, local and federal agencies to investigate numerous allegations of a pill mill operation in the area. Who is Elaine Sharp? Gulf Breeze doctor allegedly prescribed over 400K oxycodone, laundered over $1M in profits Agents say the Burklows and Winkles accepted and dispensed illicit prescriptions (including oxycodone, hydromorphone and hydrocodone) outside the course of professional practice and not intended for medical purpose or need. Additionally, Stephen Burklow, through the Pace Pharmacy, allegedly billed multiple insurance companies, using various physicians' National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers without their knowledge or consent to do so, for prescriptions that may or may not have been provided to patients. The trio were arrested without incident and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail. Stephen Burklow, 54, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to traffic oxycodone, conspiracy to traffic hydrocodone, conspiracy to traffic hydromorphone, conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and five counts of identity theft. Winkles, 69, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to traffic schedule II-controlled substances and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Monique Burklow, 58, of Pace, was arrested on conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to sell controlled substances. The investigation was led by FDLE with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Financial Services, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security Investigations. The cases will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, and the investigation remains active. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Stephen Burklow Monique Burklow of Pace Pharmacy face pill mill arrest
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
El Paso hospital to pay over $3M to resolve allegations of improper billing for medical services
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Several people and entities will pay a total of $3.1 million to resolve allegations of improper billing for medical imaging services at a surgical hospital in El Paso, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas announced in a news release. The Attorney's Office said that Desert Imaging Services, L.P., In Tandem Solutions Group, LLC, and Leroy Candelaria agreed to pay the U.S. $693,913; Donald Burris and Vox Intus, LLC agreed to forfeit $325,000; and East El Paso Physician's Medical Center, LLC, doing business as Foundation Surgical Hospital of El Paso, agreed to the entry of a consent judgment of $2,081,739. The U.S. Attorney's Office says that the settling parties 'engaged in an illegal kickback and pass-through billing scheme, in which Desert Imaging used Foundation Surgical Hospital's National Provider Identifier (NPI) to submit claims for medical imaging services,' according to the news release. The U.S. Attorney's Office said that although the patients who received these services had no connection with the hospital, billing the claims as hospital outpatient services allowed Desert Imaging to obtain a higher rate of reimbursement from federal healthcare programs. In exchange for allowing Desert Imaging to use its NPI, Foundation Surgical Hospital retained 17 percent of the payments on the claims, according to the news release. 'The settlements announced today resolve a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government's recovery,' read the news release. The Attorney's Office said that the claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Las Cruces therapist indicted for alleged Medicaid fraud
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The owner of Equine Assisted Programs of Southern New Mexico (EAP) in Las Cruces, which uses animals for mental health therapy, was indicted on Wednesday, March 5, for submitting false Medicaid claims totaling nearly $1 million, the New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) said in a news release. NMDOJ said Nancy Marshall is charged with 18 felonies, including one count of fraud, nine counts of Medicaid fraud, six counts of falsification of documents, and two counts of identity theft. If convicted on all counts, Marshall could face over 80 years in prison, NMDOJ added. 'Medical providers should be held accountable not only for their duties to their patients but should also be held to high standards when it comes to accurate and lawful billing,' said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. 'This indictment should be a powerful signal to anyone who thinks they can take advantage of patients and taxpayers: we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.' NMDOJ said the case was brought to their attention after two key staff members terminated their employment with EAP. These employees expressed concerns regarding improper practices that they witnessed while employed by Marshall, while also expressing concern for the patients of EAP, NMDOJ said. The NMDOJ's Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau (MFEAB) conducted an investigation, and 'unveiled a multitude of alleged false Medicaid claims over approximately two and a half years, including allegations that the defendant was billing for services that were never rendered, billing for treatment of children who were actually in school at the time of the alleged service and committing identity theft by utilizing the National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers of other therapists for improper billing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
