In a dramatic conclusion to a case that has rocked the City of Brotherly Love, two former employees of a once-prominent Philadelphia pharmacy have been handed prison sentences and have agreed to hefty settlements over illegal drug dispensing and fraud, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. Todd Goodman and Eric Pestrack, the duo previously working for Spivack, Inc., known as Verree Pharmacy, were sentenced to four and three months behind bars respectively, after pleading guilty to the unlawful distribution of oxycodone, kickstarting the grim endnote of their pharmacy careers with a ban from ever dealing controlled substances again.
Their convictions follow that of the pharmacy's owner, Mitchell Spivack, who's now serving a 42-month term for his role in the narcotic free-for-all and corresponding insurance scheme that spread like an unchecked virus within the confines of Verree's walls, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office announcement. In the riotous web woven by Verree's own staff, the once trusted local pharmacy transformed into a nexus for opioid distribution, flagrantly ignoring the screaming warning signs of drug diversion, such as the startlingly high volumes, dubious prescriptions, and unashamed cash transactions, that would typically give any ethical pharmacist pause.
The United States alleged that under the guise of legitimacy, Spivack and his pharmacy not only became the top retail outlet for oxycodone procurement in Pennsylvania but also orchestrated an elaborate hustle that fooled insurers, including Medicare, with a "Bill But Don't Fill" mantra, billing them for drugs as though they had reached the hands of patients, when in actuality, they sat unclaimed and dispensing abuse escalated. U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "Pharmacies and pharmacists who engage in illegal dispensing of opioids devastate their communities and worsen our country’s opioid epidemic," the U.S. Department of Justice described.
Thanks to a relentless multi-year investigation by federal and state agencies, Spivack and his business were compelled to fork over more than $4.1 million to settle the dust of their shattered reputation and mend some of the federal wounds they infected. Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Philadelphia Field Division, indicated that these actions showed a "total disregard for their professional and ethical obligations," illustrating a flagrant breach of trust within a community being eaten away by the opioid crisis. And as their downfall writes the final chapter of Verree Pharmacy's once esteemed history, the City of Philadelphia has been offered a costly reminder of the price of negligence and deceit in the ongoing battle against opioid abuse.
