Prescription Drug Fraud in Texas

In recent years, the state of Texas has taken measures to crack down on prescription drug crimes. Seen as a growing epidemic in Texas and across the nation, crimes involving prescription drugs include various types of prescription fraud, doctor shopping, robbing pharmacies, and importing prescription drugs into the country from Canada and Mexico. In 2011, a Texas law was passed making the crime of doctor shopping a felony in most cases. Doctor shopping involves an individual going from one doctor to another to independently obtain prescription drugs for personal use or to sell to others. In most of these cases, the prescription drugs are painkillers such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, and similar medications.

In 2012, the Texas Department of Public Safety began a program to track prescription drugs in order to identify drug dealers and drug abusers. The online program is a database called Prescription Access in Texas which gives medical staff, pharmacists, and law enforcement officials a fast look at the prescription history of the past year for anyone in the state. The program was designed to spot doctor shopping and medical providers who illegally or improperly supply prescription drugs. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), deaths from overdoses stemming from the use of prescription painkillers have risen dramatically in the past decade. A Texas Senator who has authored several laws designed to reduce the problem has stated that prescription drug abuse has skyrocketed in America with emergency room doctors reporting it more and more. According to a spokesman at the Texas Pain Society, Americans consume 99 percent of the hydrocodone and 80 percent of the oxycodone on the planet.

Houston Drug Crime Lawyer

Drug crimes in Texas include the possession, sales, distribution, cultivation, and trafficking in controlled substances such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other narcotics as well as crimes related to prescription medicines. Whether you are a first offender or a repeat offender of a drug crime, you will need an experienced and qualified attorney if you wish to obtain the best possible outcome in the judicial system. Your case will need to be investigated and a defense plan created based on the unique facts and circumstances involved; only an experienced defense attorney will have the knowledge, skill, and resources needed to devise a strategy that is best for you.

Mark Morasch, Attorney at Law, is a drug crime attorney based in Houston who is prepared and able to defend your case. As a former prosecutor, he understands both sides of any case; this keen insight gives his clients an added advantage. In addition to this, he has more than a decade of experience as a criminal defense lawyer and has been recognized as one of Houston's top lawyers for five years running by H Texas Magazine. Get the legal advice and representation you need by contacting his firm immediately following a drug crime arrest. He is available 24/7 to help you.