Flash Returns works with hospitals, pharmacies to get rid of unusable medication
Flash Returns works with hospitals, pharmacies to get rid of unusable medication
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Flash Returns works with hospitals, pharmacies to get rid of unusable medication
On Tuesday, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Flash Returns, a drug disposal business in Blue Ash.
“They’re called a reverse distributor,” said Martin Redd, diversion program manager for the DEA’s Detroit field division.
Reverse distributors make money by destroying unusable medications, taking that task off the plate of places like hospitals and pharmacies.
At one point, Flash Returns accepted controlled substances, which can include extremely powerful narcotics.
But five years ago — facing complaints about its business practices — the company voluntarily surrendered its DEA license, limiting the kinds of drugs it can legally get rid of.
“If you don’t have a DEA registration number, you are not supposed to take controlled drugs because it’s illegal,” Redd said.
While not saying what prompted Tuesday’s search, Redd said he and his colleagues are committed to keeping dangerous drugs off the street.
“That’s what we investigate, you know. So, if you’ve got a doctor that’s wearing a white coat — that doctor could be a drug dealer. A pharmacist that’s not selling out the front door, selling out the back door, illegally. That’s diversion,” Redd said. “It’s a very lucrative deal, you know. You think of a drug dealer out on the street. They’re making a lot of money.”
It’s not clear if any criminal charges will be filed in connection with Tuesday’s search warrant.
WLWT investigator Todd Dykes reached out to the company for comment. Dykes has not heard back by the time this story was published.
A spokesman for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy said the agency knows about Tuesday’s search, adding it’s part of an ongoing investigation.
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