Federal Operation Nets Bergen Doctor: Massive Oxy Prescription Fraud Revealed

Prescription is an instruction from a prescriber to a dispenser, a prescription should be done after careful medical examination of the patients by the caregiver, and it must be done accurately and written clearly. Good drug prescription is important in the management of patients, bad drug prescription leads to ineffective and unsafe treatment, which can lead to illness and serious harm to the patient.

Prescription is an art as well as a science that must be put in mind with all ethical standards, not like a recent report where tens of thousands of oxycodone pills were prescribed for fake patients.

It was reported that a doctor from Hillsdale was arrested by federal agents for prescribing oxycodone for illegal use from her Peterson office.

These patients were not physically or medically examined nor asked about the Symptoms to determine whether there was any legitimate need for oxycodone.

What Is Oxycodone

Oxycodone is part of a group of drugs known as opioids, these are drugs that act on the opioid receptor in the brain.

Oxycodone is often prescribed by doctors to relieve moderate to severe pain, however, there is an increasing concern among professionals about the possible risk of long use of the drug.

It is a powerful analgesic, synthetically derived from an alkaloid naturally present in opium, it is a narcotic drug, more powerful than codeine and with a greater risk of dependence. In its odorless form oxycodone is a white powder.

In this recent bust by federal agents, it was revealed that a doctor named Lisa Ferraro who has been managing the Ferraro Medical Clinic on Broadway in Peterson which was founded by the internist’s father more than 70 years ago prescribed ten thousand Oxy Pills to fake patients.

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Phony patients among whom Ferraro prescribed the pills including two who were locked up were among several patients whom US Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said were never medically examined nor asked for any Symptoms.

Sellinger said over three and half years of operation, Ferraro wrote 425 prescriptions for 36,500 pills, this was written in a dose of 90 pills of 30mg of oxycodone per patient.

Oxy can sell on the street for as much as $20 per pill, at this sales rate, the amount the federal authorities say Ferraro prescribed could amount to $730,000.

Ferraro was previously charged by the state authorities in 2019 along with her office manager, and a former office assistant with healthcare insurance fraud, the charge was later dropped in April same year.

Now federal authorities charged her with ‘ knowingly and intentionally conspiring and agreeing with others to distribute oxycodone outside the ethical standard and professional practice and away from legitimate medical intention.

However, Ferraro was released on a $150,000 unsecured bond following a brief appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Newark on Tuesday.

Sellinger praised special agents of the FBI and DEA for the investigation leading to the charges.

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What Are The Effects Of Oxycodone?

Oxycodone reduces pain by acting on the central nervous system, its effects are: analgesic, anxiolytic, antitussive, and sedative.

Because oxycodone is exclusively an opioid receptor agonist, its analgesic effect is dose-related with no maximum dose as long as adverse effects are controlled.

What Are The Side Effects Of Oxycodone

Oxycodone has many side effects, some of which can be potentially serious. Among the most common are:

Digestive disorder ( abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, vomiting).

Central Nervous System disorder ( drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, headache, insomnia, nightmare, hallucination, anxiety, depression, mood disorder, tremors). Other may include, itching or rash, loss of appetite, heavy sweating, dry mouth, urinary retention, breathing difficulty, and more other side effects.

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