Dennis Wichern is a retired DEA agent.

CBD: What is it? A former DEA agent explains.

Medications
April 4, 2019

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol or CBD for short is made from either the marijuana plant that contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or hemp which contains little to any THC. “Hemp-derived” means that the CBD generally contains less than 0.3% THC while “marijuana-derived” contains higher amounts of THC. It is THC — and not CBD — is the primary psychoactive or intoxicating component of marijuana. CBD can also be manufactured synthetically.

CBD is routinely sold …

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CBD: What is it? A former DEA agent explains.

Telemedicine should be easy. Here’s why it’s not.

Medications
October 12, 2018

Who was Ryan Haight?

Ryan Haight was an 18-year-old honor student from La Mesa, California who died on February 12, 2001, from an overdose of hydrocodone ordered from an online doctor he never saw — and shipped to his home from a rogue online pharmacy during the beginning of the opioid epidemic.

The pharmacist, Clayton Fuchs, filled the online prescription …

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Telemedicine should be easy. Here’s why it’s not.

How to avoid negative press and fines during the opioid crisis

Medications
October 5, 2018

No news is good news.

Especially for hospitals in the middle of the opioid epidemic.

Recently, the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) agreed to a civil penalty in the amount of $4.3 million for failing to prevent opioid drug diversion and federal recordkeeping violations as a result of a DEA investigation. The headline from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan read: “Eastern District of Michigan …

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How to avoid negative press and fines during the opioid crisis

Kratom: harmless herbal supplement or dangerous drug?

Medications
August 17, 2018

What is it?

Kratom is a powdered herbal supplement derived from the leaves of a tropical evergreen tree that is native to Southeast Asia and is usually taken orally but can also be brewed into teas.

It is commonly used by consumers as an alternative medicine to self-treat opioid addiction and chronic pain.  The leaves contain two compounds, mitragynine and 7-a-hydroxymitragyine, which interact with various receptors in the brain.

At low doses the …

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Kratom: harmless herbal supplement or dangerous drug?

The other side of Suboxone

Medications
July 28, 2018

A lot has been written about Suboxone, the buprenorphine treatment drug. For many, Suboxone acts as an effective medication to treat opioid addiction. For others, it’s a highly-valued street drug that is commonly diverted and misused. To understand and acknowledge the darker side of Suboxone we have to look back at its history over the past 16 years.

History of Suboxone

Suboxone was first approved by the FDA in 2002 to treat …

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The other side of Suboxone

10 ways to stay out of the DEA’s crosshairs

Physician
July 12, 2018

No news attracts attention like a physician who’s in trouble with DEA or their state medical board. So, how does it happen, what are the common issues and what can a physician do to safeguard themselves?

First, let’s look at what the numbers and the research tell us.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) tells us that 4,091 physicians were disciplined during …

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10 ways to stay out of the DEA’s crosshairs

Want to dispose of drugs properly? Here’s how.

Medications
June 7, 2018

According to Bloomberg, Americans spend more on prescription drugs per year than any other country in the world at around $1,100 per person.

Additionally, the CDC reports that four out of five new heroin users started their addiction by using prescription opioid painkillers like hydrocodone or oxycodone.

And we know from the Partnership for a Drug-free America that students and young adults oftentimes …

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Want to dispose of drugs properly? Here’s how.

A DEA agent explains how to fight the opioid crisis and mitigate DEA risk

Medications
June 4, 2018

42,000. That’s the number of CDC reported overdose deaths in 2016 due to opioids.

Ten percent. That’s the percentage of the estimated 2.1 million opioid substance abusers receiving treatment help and even fewer afforded medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for their struggles.

Three percent or around 40,000. That’s the number of physicians out of a total of 1.3 million across the U.S. qualified by the Substance …

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A DEA agent explains how to fight the opioid crisis and mitigate DEA risk