Federal probe underway on illegal Internet diet drugs sales

By Hubert Vigilla

Published on September 19, 2005

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) searched Budget Pharmacy's brick-and-mortar location earlier in the week and seized paper records and computers. The search was part of the DEA's investigation into the illegal diet drug scheme, which also involved inspections of store shipments, inspecting the store's trash, reviewing the store's bank records and engaging in undercover diet drug purchases. Investigators stated that a number of parties, including Budget Pharmacy's pharmacist/owner Charlotte J. Lopacki, were involved in the illegal prescription diet drug sales.

Though she has not been charged with any wrongdoing, the federal government affidavit states that Lopacki worked in conjunction with 14 to 20 doctors outside of Pennsylvania to illegally supply prescription diet drugs to online customers. The affidavit also states that the physicians involved did not actually examine the customers who purchased the diet drugs. The doctors instead wrote the prescriptions based on online questionnaires the customers filled out.

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