After pill mills began appearing in Georgia, police started to crack down on the illegal trade. While this has managed to temper the flow of illegal prescriptions written by doctors, there has been an increase in robberies. Some companies in particular are more prone to fall victim to a robbery by an addict or dealer in search of prescription pills.
Pill mills, which are set up as pain clinics and used to distribute mostly prescription painkillers to both drug users and dealers, increased in popularity in Georgia after surrounding states implemented stricter pain clinic laws. The regulations have since been tightened in Georgia, too, and now only physicians can actually own a pain clinic. With the connection to illegal pill mills severed, pharmacy robberies such as this are rising up at an alarming rate.
Recently, a Georgia CVS pharmacy was robbed by a man in search of prescription drugs. He managed to make off with the prescription painkillers Percocet and Lortab. On the way out, he also snatched prescription bags from some of the pharmacy customers before he left. Police believe that this wasn’t his first time, and they are seeking him in connection with another pharmacy robbery.
Drug addiction can be a serious and difficult struggle for some people. When access to pill mills that were previously accessible is severed, some may turn to desperate measures such as pharmacy robberies in order to obtain illegal prescriptions. While theft is a serious charge that can sometimes yield long jail time and hefty fines, Georgia residents accused of robbery still have options to fight their charges. Reviewing one’s case and applicable state and federal laws can give a defendant the confidence that they may need to form the most comprehensive defense team possible.
Source: The Florida Times Union,As illegal ‘pill mills’ fall, addicts resorting to robbery for drugs, Andy Miller, Feb. 9, 2014