controlled substances

A Franklin, Tennessee nurse practitioner lost his licenses and prescribing privileges after the Tennessee Board of Nursing approved a consent order detailing sexually explicit communications with patients, controlled substance prescriptions, and medical-record deficiencies. The nurse, Rex Edward Sparks, admitted to sending graphic messages during periods of heavy drinking and agreed to a $6,000 civil penalty.

Louisiana's 2024 law reclassified misoprostol as a controlled substance, requiring it to be stored securely and delaying access during emergencies. This has increased hemorrhage risks for pregnant patients, as misoprostol is a critical, cost-effective drug for treating postpartum hemorrhage and has other reproductive healthcare uses.

Louisiana's 2024 law reclassifying misoprostol as a controlled substance forced hospitals to store it securely, delaying access during emergencies. The drug is critical for treating pregnancy-related hemorrhages but is now harder to retrieve, increasing patient risk. The law also reclassified mifepristone, further complicating reproductive healthcare access.

The U.S. experienced 227 active medication shortages in Q2 2026, with 48% being sole-source products and 10% involving life-saving contrast agents. GSK abandoned development of camlipixant, a chronic cough drug acquired for $2 billion, after Phase 3 trials showed limited efficacy.

A Tennessee prison's grand jury indicted 50 individuals in 19 cases involving five inmate murders, assaults against staff and inmates, and other violent crimes. Charges include murder, aggravated assault, official misconduct, and controlled substance possession at Northwest Correctional Complex, with some indictments targeting former staff members.

Alibaba will pay $600 million to the U.S. government to resolve allegations of selling and importing illegal pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, and regulated chemicals. The dispute involves claims that the Hangzhou-based tech firm engaged in unauthorized pharmaceutical sales in the U.S.

A Shelbyville, Tennessee home was padlocked by police after being deemed a 'public nuisance' due to repeated criminal activity, including drug possession, assaults, domestic disturbances, and breaches of the peace. Law enforcement agencies reported 36 police responses, 42 arrests, and an overdose death at the residence on Brookhaven Circle.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of California filed 148 border-related cases this week, including charges for smuggling aliens for profit, reentry after deportation, and drug importation. The district, covering San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico and includes the world’s busiest land crossing at San Ysidro.

A federal jury convicted Anthony Joseph Brulewicz, also known as 'Tony Montana,' of multiple drug and firearm offenses, including distribution of controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was charged as an Armed Career Criminal and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

An Essex County, New Jersey man admitted to committing an armed carjacking using an assault rifle and was also found in possession of two firearms and controlled substances with intent to distribute.

A federal jury in the Middle District of Tennessee convicted a Tennessee woman for illegally distributing controlled substances. The case involves a nurse practitioner who was found guilty by the jury.

Trey Allan King, a 32-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on January 31, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard.

Stericycle Inc., a waste management company based in Lake Forest, Illinois, agreed to pay over $56 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations into its improper handling of controlled substances between 2015 and 2020.

A 35-year-old Baltimore man, Davon Taylor, pled guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and firearm possession charges related to a local drug trafficking investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, including charges related to human smuggling, reentry after deportation, and drug importation. The district, covering San Diego and Imperial counties, is the fourth busiest federal district due to its high volume of border crimes, including the world's busiest land crossing at San Ysidro.