The complaint alleged that the accused sold a large number of prescription opioid for supposed patients, who did not have legitimate medical need for the drugs.
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The two Nigerian-born pharmacists were charged with illegal distribution of addictive drugs worth over $9 million in street value
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The US government is going after street dealers, physicians, and pharmacists who choose to violate the law.
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The complaint alleged that from January 2015 through March 2018, the pharmacists and doctor conspired with the other defendants to issue and dispense a large number of prescription opioid for supposed patients, who did not have legitimate medical need for the drugs.
Two Nigerian-born pharmacists among other medical practitioners are going to face US court for being involved in the illegal distribution of addictive drugs worth over $9 million in street value.
Matthew Schneider, U.S. Attorney of Eastern District of Michigan, in a statement released on Thursday, May 31, 2018, charged three pharmacists, one doctor and two other individuals with conspiracy to illegally distribute prescription drugs.
Pharmacist Enitan Sodiya-Ogundipe, 42, of Novi, Pharmacist Abiodun Fabode, 56, of Chesterfield Township were said to have conspired with Amir Rafi, another pharmacist and Vasan Deshikachar, a medical doctor, to distribute more than 344,737 dosage units of Schedule II opioid prescriptions to vendors who sell them on the streets.
What is Schedule II Opioid?
Schedule II opioid painkillers include oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, codeine, meperidine and fentanyl. They can only be prescribed legally as more than 64,000 Americans died from the drug overdoses in 2016, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The complaint alleged that from January 2015 through March 2018, these pharmacists and doctor conspired with the other defendants to issue and dispense a large number of prescription opioid for supposed patients, who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs.
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“Charged in the indictment are: Pharmacist Enitan Sodiya-Ogundipe, 42, of Novi; Pharmacist Amir Rafi, 49, of Farmington Hills; Pharmacist Abiodun Fabode, 56, of Chesterfield Township; Dr. Vasan Deshikachar, 50, of Boca Raton, Florida, Nieshia Tibu, 44, of Canton; and Andrei Tibu, 30, of Canton.”
“Deshikachar primarily prescribed oxycodone and oxymorphone, two of the most addictive opioids that have high street value,” the indictment announcement published on United States Department of Justice website reads.
How they worked out the prescription scheme
According to the court document, Dr Deshikachar primarily prescribed oxycodone and oxymorphone, two of the most addictive opioids that have high street value while Tibus would take the supposed patients to Precare Pharmacy, Global Health Pharmacy and Friendz Pharmacy, where Pharmacists Sodiya-Ogundipe, Rafi and Fabode would dispense the drugs.
The Tibus then obtained the drugs and sold them on the street.
"Before dispensing the medically unnecessary prescriptions, Enitan Sodiya-Ogundipe, Amir Rafi and Abiodun Fabode failed to exercise their corresponding professional responsibility to determine that the prescriptions were issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice," the complaint said.
"Diversion of prescription pills to the street market is a direct cause of the current opioid epidemic facing our country," U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said. "We are focusing on charging doctors, pharmacists and the networks that are contributing to the opioid problem in our district."
"As we are in the midst of the worst opioid epidemic in our lifetime, it is important we team up with our federal partners and target those who peddle this death,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said. “We will go after street dealers, physicians, and pharmacists who choose to violate the law."
US government charges against them
- Sodiya-Ogundipe charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, 24 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and two counts of money laundering for engaging in monetary transactions with the criminal cash proceeds from her illicit pharmacy business.
- Amir Rafi charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and 17 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
- Abiodun Fabode is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and six counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
- Deshikachar charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and 24 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
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- Nieshia Tibu is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, 30 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Andrei Tibu is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute and 30 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
Drug menace
Drug menace and related offences are rampant in the world. In Nigeria, drug abuse among the youths is increasing every day.
On Saturday, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) sealed off 280 patent medicine stores for various unethical offences in Zamfara state.
The council’s Director in charge of Inspection and Monitoring, Anthonia Aruya, said the measure became necessary to prevent people from taking poison unknowingly as prescribed drugs.