Doctor angered by fake prescriptions

Hudson, Florida -  Dr. Daniel Bender knows how to get rid of aches and pains, but recently he's come across a chronic pain of his own he can't seem to beat - fraudulent prescriptions.

The grief started in September when the Pasco County doctor started getting calls from pharmacies in Hillsborough County about prescriptions he didn't write.  The frauds were trying to get a hold of Xanax, Methadone, and Oxycodone using his good name.

"Somebody copied a prescription pad, sent it to a manufacturer where a physician would have his prescription pad printed up, manufactured, and they had it sent back to them," explained Dr. Bender, owner of the Spine and Pain Medicine Center.

At first glance, the prescriptions look legit.  A watermark appears when copied, the doctor's DEA number matches up and a phone number connects you to Dr. Bender's office.

The problem is, that phone number isn't the real Dr. Bender.  It's the cell phone number of a fraud.

Dr. Bender says most of the prescriptions were not filled because the pharmacists figured out the scheme, but in a few cases, they were filled.  The reason is even more disturbing.

"The pharmacist told us he was going to fill it because it wasn't worth risking his life.  Those were his exact words, so the pharmacists are in fear of their safety," Dr. Bender told 10 Connects.

We contacted the pharmacist, but he did not want to talk to us on camera.  He told us he contacted authorities as he was filling the prescription, but they didn't get there in time.

Another pharmacist recounted the same story.  He says he filled two prescriptions for a young woman, but he didn't figure out it was fake until a second person came in with a similar Dr. Bender prescription.

By the time authorities got to the pharmacy, the two had left.  Only one got away with the drugs.

"It's getting out of control," said Dr. Bender.  He and the pharmacists have been in contact with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, but whoever is behind the scheme hasn't stopped trying. 

They attempted to fill two prescriptions this week, on Tuesday and Friday.

The sheriff's office says Dr. Bender isn't alone.  They are currently investigating multiple cases just like this. The problem is the crime has skyrocketed faster than they can keep up.

"What I'm concerned about is that people are aware of what's going on," said Dr. Bender.  He's hoping doctors and pharmacists remain vigilant in spotting the frauds, so the drugs don't wind up in the streets and in the wrong hands.

"More and more of these pain medications are getting out on the streets, they are becoming more accessible, again, these are dangerous things, people are going to die from it," he said. 

The sheriff's office says it has sent alerts to all pharmacies in Hillsborough County.  We are told the case is under investigation and arrests are possible.

In many cases, pharmacists make copies of the person's driver's license, so deputies will know where to find the alleged culprits.