Losing your DEA Registration license can seriously jeopardize or end the career you spent years building. If the DEA has suspended or revoked your registration, you may want to know what the investigation revealed and how to reinstate your license. The problem may be administrative, or you may be suspected of criminal activity, such as diverting controlled substances. Our DEA defense attorneys understand how crucial your license is to your livelihood. Contact a Columbia DEA Registration suspension lawyer today to discuss your options.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) upholds the country’s controlled substance laws. Although the mission may have originated to take down drug gangs and traffickers, it has grown to include investigating healthcare professionals that prescribe opioids and other controlled pharmaceuticals, regulating the manufacturing and distribution of medications, and providing drug-related intelligence to its operators and other law enforcement.
The DEA also conducts research through its Office of Forensic Sciences. Physicians, dentists, hospitals, pain clinics, pharmacies, and other medical professionals in an environment subject to DEA Registration should contact a Columbia attorney from the Law Office of Bill Nettles when trouble brews from a DEA investigation.
A DEA Registration requires healthcare providers to disclose information about their backgrounds in relation to controlled pharmaceuticals. The DEA will consider factors such as whether the provider has any South Carolina or federal convictions for controlled substance crimes, has complaints lodged against them, or failed to comply with any local or state laws when issuing a license.
Even providing erroneous information on the application can lead to a later suspension and other hefty penalties if the DEA discovers the error. According to 21 United States Code 843(d), any applicant who supplies false information and knows the information is fraudulent faces up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Besides falsifying the registration application, DEA suspensions or revocations occur when a provider is convicted of a controlled substance felony, the provider’s state medical license is revoked, or the provider is no longer eligible to participate in state Medicaid and Medicare programs. A Columbia DEA registration suspension attorney can help providers facing revocation understand the reasoning for the decision and their options for reinstatement.
DEA agents also look for red flags they may investigate as criminal activity. The tipoff may be a physician who prescribes in an area known for opioid trafficking, an inordinate number of prescriptions from the prescriber, or numerous coding errors. Criminal activity that commonly leads to suspension, revocation, and prosecution includes:
DEA agents are tenacious. Many innocent providers have been caught up in the system and had their DEA Registration suspended erroneously. Even coding errors that are honest mistakes can have catastrophic consequences.
Providers whose DEA Registrations are about to be suspended are first served with an Order to Show Cause. The DEA notifies providers but allows them to explain why their registrations should not be suspended. Columbia providers should contact a DEA Registration suspension attorney for assistance if the DEA has served such an order.
When you receive an Order to Show Cause because the DEA is suspending your registration, your entire future depends on what you do next.
We encourage you to contact us as your next move. We can fight the charges and help reinstate your registration to handle scheduled narcotics. Refrain from surrendering your license if the agent serving the order asks for it. Contact us immediately. A DEA Registration suspension lawyer could save your license and career.
