Eldersburg Resident Arrested for Illegal Distribution
July 2, 2009
Eric Villard

Eldersburg resident Ketankumar Arvind Patel, 47, was arrested June 30 for the illegal distribution of oxycodone products from his Reisterstown pharmacy, according to a release from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). DEA sources would not release Patel’s Eldersburg address.

Patel’s pharmacy, the Medicine Shoppe located at 11813 ½ Reisterstown Rd., fell under suspicion when a confidential source informed agents from the Department of Health and Human Services and the DEA that they had been filling fraudulent subscriptions for oxycodone, according to the release. The release also stated that Patel not only filled the illegal prescriptions, but also showed the confidential source how to better forge them.

"The arrest of Mr. Patel is an example of the hard work DEA and our law enforcement counterparts are dedicated to in order to combat the growing trend of prescription drug abuse," said the special agent in charge of the investigation Ava Cooper-Davis, according to the release. “When abused, not only are these drugs dangerous in their own right, they often lead to the use of harder drugs, with life-altering consequences. We in law enforcement are committed to defeat those, like Mr. Patel, who push diverted pharmaceuticals into the hands of those who abuse them.”

As of March 2009 Patel was charging $1,800 per forged prescription, and the confidential source alone was getting five prescriptions per week, the release said. The indictment on Patel seeks that he forfeit property gained as result of the illegal sales. This includes his residence, the Medicine Shoppe franchise, his 2008 Acura and a 2006 Porsche. As reported in the Baltimore Sun, Patel could face a total of 86 years in prison and he and his company, Deepa Inc., could face up to $26 million in fines for the distribution.

What is oxycodone?

According to the DEA Web site oxycodone, known more familiarly in its non-generic form OxyContin, is a time-released pain medication that can become dangerous and habit-forming if abused. In March 2004 the generic version became available, and shortly after it found its way to the illegal drug market. Oxycodone comes in small oval, light green tablets with the markings “93” and “33” on either side.

The generic version of the drug is only available in 80 mg doses, in contrast to OxyContin’s availability in 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg doses. According to the site those taking the generic version may be misled when ingesting the medicine and think they are taking a smaller dose than they actually are. Slang names for the drug include: Kicker, OC, Oxy, OX, Blue, Oxycotton and Hillbilly Heroin. The DEA reported that about 1.9 million Americans take oxycodone for illicit purposes.

Oxycodone’s short-term effects include sedation, euphoria and feelings of relaxation. According to the site, a 10 mg does of the drug is equivalent to a 10 mg dose of morphine and its effects can last for up for five hours. If too much is taken in too short a time it can lead to severe respiratory depression, coma and death. As with most addictive drugs, continual use of oxycodone can lead to drug dependence and needing to take more of the drug to get the same effect.

Links:

DEA press release: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/states/newsrel/2009/wdo063009.html

Baltimore Sun article on the Reisterstown pharmacist: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bal-meds0630,0,201499.story

DEA information page on OxyContin: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/oxycontin.html

General information about oxycodone, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxycodone

A tool to help locate nearby substance abuse treatment centers: http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/

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