“Put the vouchers in black bags and throw them away”: The conversations between doctors and pharmacists who defrauded EOPYY

The dialogues captured during the investigation by the Economic Police, which halted the group’s activities, shed light on the criminal practices of organizations made up of doctors and pharmacists who defrauded EOPYY through fictitious prescriptions.

In total, 17 people (14 Greeks and three foreigners) were arrested, including doctors, pharmacists, and a medical representative. Authorities also seized more than 9,000 pharmaceutical products and approximately 450,000 euros.

One particularly notable conversation, revealed by protothema.gr, features a doctor discussing with a colleague the challenge of obtaining Ozempic, a medication currently in short supply.

Doctor: Come on Michelle, how much Ozempic? Tell me.

Co-worker: Come on (unintelligible). How are you doing, buddy?

Doctor: I’m fine

Collaborator: Yeah. I’m trying. Uh, now I remember, m’kay. It’s two Ozempic’s ready.

Doctor: Yes?

Collaborator: And I can do two more.

Doctor: On Sunday but I have to come downstairs, but have you already taken them so I can get them?

Partner: I’ll go now and get those two, secure them, and keep them in my fridge.

Doctor: Yeah that’s what I’m telling you. Tell me what I can do for you.

Partner: No nothing, she sent me something S. but something else I wanted to tell you if it’s that woman I told you about, who wants this for her mother-in-law and the other one eh. Who helps us, who writes and we have her written in her name. Will you look at it, shall I send it to you now? If it is I’m going to print it.

Doctor: Good, good. Send it all to me now, I’ll do it now. Okay ;

Collaborator: I sent you, listen listen, I sent you S’s on messenger or what’s up;

“He can’t write it because it’s already been written once”

In another conversation, the same people talk about a problem that arose in writing a drug.

Collaborator: Come on B.

Doctor: Michelle

Collaborator: Yes

Doctor: The first one that didn’t post is because I have it blocked because it was posted before this month in the photo I sent you.

Collaborator: Oh, send it to me send it to me there.Doctor: I sent it to you, I sent you a picture.

Collaborator: Yes.

Doctor: And I’m telling you I can’t write it because it’s already written this month. Do you understand? Second time. That’s why I only wrote the one. I’m going for the rest

Collaborator: Yes

“Put the coupons in a black bag so nothing shows”

Meanwhile, a conversation between a couple of pharmacists and one of their employees – all involved – about drugs that should be removed from the business is also noteworthy.

Pharmacists: Ask if you want.

Employee: Ask Mrs. M. Mr. S., he left us boxes of PREGABALIN SANDOSE. Do I throw them away from the pharmacy?

Pharmacist:Hey, take the coupons.

Clerk: Except for the coupons. I’ll take the coupons off.

Pharmacists: The coupons keep the coupons. Hey, and the big ones and the small ones, put them in a black bag so you can’t see anything.

Clerk: Good.

Pharmacists: Put them in a black bag.

Clerk: Yes? And do I throw them away from the pharmacy or over here in our nearby?

Pharmacist: No. Away, of course. As far away as possible.Clerk: I take them home, duh

Pharmacist: Yes. Take them and throw them away, but in a black bag so you can’t see what’s inside.

Clerk: Black bag. Okay, Mr. S.

“Make it look like it’s for pain, not epilepsy”

Of further interest is a dialogue between a pharmacist involved and one of his employees in which there is talk of a drug that was being supplied from his pharmacy by addicts without a prescription.

Pharmacist:Yes write Pregabalin capsules don’t put milligrams on purposeClerk: I won’t put anything in and tomorrow morning I’ll look into what you told me. When was it written?

Pharmacist: So if you do, first of all go in and look at the history.

Employee: Yes?

Pharmacist: Let’s see. Does it say epilepsy, or does it say epilepsy somewhere else and pain somewhere else?

Clerk: Okay!

Pharmacist: And say we’ll rewrite it a few times on purpose with a pain diagnosis.

Staff: Yes?

Pharmacist: To make it look like it’s for pain and not epilepsy.

Employee: Good!

Pharmacist: And you’ll get the certificate and we’ll keep writing it say on purpose.

Clerk: To make it look like he’s taking it for pain! I see.

Pharmacist: To make it clear that it was for pain, not that it was for epilepsy. To create a new history for pain now.

“Did your doctor give you the prescriptions elsewhere”

Finally revealing is a dialogue between a pharmacist involved and a colleague about lists of six-month-old prescriptions that went missing.

Pharmacist: Hey, because I gave you several lists of these six-month prescriptions

Collaborator: Yes

Pharmacist: And I don’t see you’ve brought any. Did your doctor give them elsewhere?

Pharmacist: No. Well, I’ll send it to you now. Some have IKA, I’ll send you

Pharmacist: Ah! Do they have IKA with intangibles and can’t do it.

Partner: Yes yes , I’ll send you a message he sent me

Pharmacist: Ah! Because I had given you several lists there but I don’t see anything written by him so to speak

Partner: Yes yes , he told me now, I told him now and he says, and he says, they have IKA he says.

Pharmacist: Oh, they have got IKA for that, I see.

Pharmacist: Yes , I’ll show you the message he sent me, it says they have IKA

Pharmacist: Yes. So so he can’t write many more so to speak, I see

Partner: Well, if they have IKA now they don’t, we used to.

Complaints that “betrayed them”

The unraveling of the criminal organizations’ activities began after two women filed complaints, suspecting something was amiss.

In particular, one insured woman reported to EOPYY that on May 28, 2023, she received a text message about a prescription for the drug Hipnosedon from a doctor (now implicated in the case). The prescription had been filled the following day at a pharmacy in Agios Panteleimon.

Similarly, another insured woman complained to EOPYY about 16 prescriptions, involving multiple medications, issued under her social security number (AMKA) between April 14, 2015, and November 11, 2015, by the same doctor. All prescriptions were filled at a pharmacy in Sepolia.

These complaints triggered an investigation that eventually exposed the operations of the criminal organizations.

It was discovered that these illegal activities had been ongoing since at least January 2020. The groups shared similar goals, methods, and in some cases, overlapping members who operated in parallel.

Investigators found that members of these organizations, operating continuously and with distinct roles, used their member doctors to systematically issue fraudulent prescriptions. These prescriptions were issued mainly to foreigners, often individuals who had left the country were incarcerated in detention centers, or were housed in various facilities, making it unlikely for them to detect the fraudulent prescriptions. To maximize profits, the groups also exploited the ID cards of uninsured individuals, as these carried no contribution costs to the National Health Service.

Once the fake prescriptions were issued, the group’s member pharmacies processed them, forging signatures in place of the insured. The illegally prescribed medications were then distributed through pharmacies and doctors to clients both in Greece and abroad.

The proceeds from these illicit activities were either mixed with legitimate income through fake retail sales receipts or stored in bank safety deposit boxes.

It is important to note that some of the fraudulently prescribed drugs included medications and psychotropic substances, some of which are in short supply both in Greece and internationally.

So far, the investigation has uncovered the issuance of 3,516 fraudulent prescriptions totaling 90,186 units, resulting in damage to EOPYY exceeding €3.5 million.

Additionally, the investigation revealed the illegal activity of a pharmacy owner who was distributing pharmaceutical products that posed a potential health risk. A portion of these products was sourced from the criminal organizations’ pharmacies.

A case file has been prepared against those arrested, including charges of participation in a criminal organization, forgery, repeated false certification against the Greek State and public entities with damages exceeding €120,000, repeated professional fraud, unauthorized interference with personal data systems, money laundering, drug trafficking, and distribution of harmful substances.

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