We hear everyday about drug addicts and their addictions. These days a lot of the addicts are addicted to prescription drugs. People go to a doctor and get prescriptions and they hit the streets with them and sell them. It happens all the time now.

Back in the day when I wanted diet pills, there was no need for me to buy them on the streets, I could go to the doctor and they would happily write out a prescription for them and I at least knew what I was buying.

These days it isn’t so easy getting diet pills but there are still a lot of doctors out there that will write you a prescription for pain in a split second if you tell them you are in pain. Two physicians were arrested Thursday for conspiring to distribute oxycodone for cash without a legitimate medical purpose by undercover FBI officers. They are being accused of selling 30 mg prescription of oxycodone pills worth $150 a prescription between November 2010 and April 2011. Dr. Eugene Demczuk didn’t even do a medical examination nor did he bother to request additional medical information from the patient (undercover officer). Not only that but he also gave the undercover officer prescriptions for other individuals as well.

Demczuk, 66, from Livingston New Jersey and his associate, Nicholas Cukier, 24 of Edison New Jersey are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and one count of distributing oxycodone.

Oxycodone is a powerful painkiller with a high potential for addiction and abuse. It is sold on the street as a substitute for heroin and other illegal drugs. It is a drug that addicts would almost kill for, I am told.

I hope these charges stick against these doctors but I also wish they could catch all of those doctors that are guilty of doing the same thing.

Jan Barrett