DEA investigates Oviedo Walgreens for oxycodone orders

OVIEDO, Fla. — An Oviedo Walgreens is under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration because of an increase in the number of oxycodone pills the pharmacy was ordering.

The Walgreens, located on Lockwood Boulevard in Oviedo, was one of six pharmacies in Florida recently served with a federal warrant. The investigation comes after agents noticed a huge rise in the amount of oxycodone pill orders.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it that you have rogue pharmacies and rogue physicians,” former FBI agent Brad Garrett told WFTV.

The Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed it's investigating the Walgreens locations as part of a fight against the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

According to published reports, the Oviedo Walgreens location ordered roughly 80,000 oxycodone pills in 2009. Two years later, the pharmacy ordered nearly 1.7 million doses.

In February, the DEA suspended the prescription licenses at two CVS pharmacies in Sanford for the same reason. It was the first time that pharmacies from a national chain had their licenses suspended for dispensing too many potentially dangerous pills.

Agents say those pharmacies ordered 20 times the national average when it came to oxycodone pills.

The DEA fears pharmacies could be illegally filling prescriptions for rogue doctors involved in trafficking the pills or selling them directly to addicts.

“This is all about money. The sheer greed and the amount of money that’s made, which is in the billions of dollars,” Garrett said.

Walgreens officials say they are cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

WFTV