Misbranding A Controlled Substance
Among life’s greatest pleasures is stopping for a meal in one of Pennsylvania’s roadside diners, where every table is stocked with an array of condiments. Everyone has a grumpy uncle who, upon being served the most affordable full breakfast in town, will complain that the ketchup in the glass bottles with the Heinz labels is not really Heinz. He will insist that the restaurant management just buys the cheap, supermarket brand ketchup at Costco and refills the Heinz bottles with it when they are empty. If this were not the case, then the ketchup would not come out of the bottle so quickly. With ketchup, this does not matter so much. Whether it is Heinz or the cheap stuff, it is all a combination of tomato puree, vinegar, and salt. Mislabeling a controlled substance, by contrast, is a serious matter; in fact, you can get criminal charges for it. If you are facing criminal charges for misbranding a controlled substance, contact a Pittsburgh drug crime lawyer.
Pennsylvania Laws on Misbranding a Controlled Substance
Charges of misbranding a controlled substance apply if you label a controlled substance to indicate that its ingredients are something other than what they are, whether the label says that the substance is a different controlled substance (for example, labeling the pill bottle “oxycodone” when the active ingredient is really fentanyl) or pretending that the substance does not include any ingredients covered by the Controlled Substances Act, such as saying that the pills are multivitamins contains vitamins A,C,E, and B12, when they are really fentanyl.
According to Pennsylvania law, misbranding a controlled substance is a felony. A conviction for a first offense carries a fine of up to $1,000 and prison time of up to one year. Most documented cases of misbranding controlled substances have involved pharmacies that dispense medications in response to online orders.
In the News
If the weight loss industry had things its way, no one would be able to eat their fill of foods that are awesome just the way they are and even better with ketchup without feeling anxiety or guilt. This has created business opportunities for anyone who purports to be able to help people lose weight. Until recently, Nicole Millen operated two weight loss clinics in the Pittsburgh area; according to the WTAE news website, she does not hold any medical licenses. She is facing criminal charges for misbranding a controlled substance, because one of the drugs she sold to patients turned out to be a veterinary drug. The vials were labeled as if they were a weight loss drug commonly prescribed to humans, but they were actually Chorulon, a drug given to cows for treatment of cystic ovaries.
Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases
A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to misbranding a controlled substance or other types of misrepresentation within the health and wellness professions. Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.
Source:
wtae.com/article/pittsburgh-wellness-counselor-cow-drugs/69198044
