DEA: Prescriptions in multi-county drug operation written by central Florida doc

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http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/9-investigates-central-florida-doctor-accused-mult/np5Q3/
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
 9 Investigates discovered a central Florida doctor was arrested in connection with an alleged drug-trafficking  [/color]operation. Dr. Rica Bogdany was later said by the Drug Enforcement Agency to have provided prescription drugs to patients who turned around and sold them into the black market in Volusia, Lake and Orange counties. Channel 9’s Field Sutton discovered she’s been tied to two different clinics. In May of 2014, agents raided a clinic called Pain Care Place in Winter Garden.  At the time, Bogdany allegedly claimed the owner was forcing her to write bogus prescriptions. The owner was arrested while she walked free. But newly unsealed court documents show Bogdany did end up in the  Orange County in July of 2015 on felony charges of prescription drug trafficking. Investigators said they found that she “did not see any self-evaluation sheets or any information at all on patients prior to signing the prescriptions” while working at Pain Care Place. They said she went as far as writing “blank prescriptions just in case someone else needed another prescription.” Since then, 9 Investigates found out Bogdany has moved to Clermont and opened up a new pain clinic called Lifetime Ways, where she answered questions Thursday, saying she’s still actively writing prescriptions. “I’m taking care of the people who need to be taken care of on the margins that they are not being cared for in the majority of medical practice,” Bogdany said. Since Bogdany’s arrest, a separate investigation took down nearly 20 people accused of supplying Lake, Orange and Volusia counties with thousands of black market prescription pills. The Drug Enforcement Agency said Costadaryll Hughley “used [drug addicts] to obtain and fill controlled substance prescriptions so that he can later sell the drugs on the street.” Records show one woman’s alleged drug purchases over nine-month period, made possible by prescriptions written by Bogdany, included 900 Valium, 1,530 Methadone and 3,060 Dilaudid pills. That totals 5,490 pills. If the patient was taking all of them herself, it would be more than 20 each day. Bogdany on Thursday insisted the prescriptions were written legally. “Absolutely. As far as I’m concerned, people can argue that point, but they’re not taking care of these patients. I am,” Bogdany said. Bogdany’s trafficking case is still pending in the courts. She was not charged in connection with the DEA bust.