Florida Independent Pharmacists Are Tough

What was it that caused Florida to become the "pill-mill" hotbed state? Of all of doctors that dispense oxycodone in the United States, 85% of all the oxycodone carriers are in Florida.

Was it because of a lack of law enforcement against suspicious pharmacists?

I don't think anyone really knows the reason, but I wonder if the attitude of some independent pharmacists contributed to lawmakers finally cracking down on pill mills, increasing the liability of all community pharmacists, and almost legislating smaller, but honest, independents out of being able to provide pain care?

So, I talked to a few law enforcement officials about the problem. They said that some Florida independent pharmacists were uncooperative, and didn't seem as though they wanted to help address the problem, especially the ones whom law enforcement deemed suspicious.

As would be expected with criminals robbing independent pharmacies left and right, and with corrupt politicians and corporate competitors seemingly set on putting them out of business, I can understand why independent pharmacists have become so tough throughout the years, and perhaps a little gruff and uncooperative. But were they that uncooperative?

Those officials also sympathized with the law-abiding independent pharmacists' plight, but said something had to be done to stem the prolific prescription drug abuse problem. They then showed me this video of police officers cross-examining just one of the prolific pill-mill pharmacists located in South Florida.

Now I think I can understand law enforcement's side of the issue, he's one tough pharmacist. Maybe their uncooperative attitudes did have something to do with creating these new laws.