State law enforcement agencies are charging six Mississippi health care professionals for drug embezzlement. MPB's Alexis Ware reports.
Six Mississippi health care providers are facing felony drug charges. Dr. Michael Baker of Rolling Fork and his medical assistant were arrested for obtaining a controlled substance-- a cough syrup containing Hydrocodone. The other medical professionals were two nurses and two pharmacy technicians.
John Dowdy heads the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
"We're going to continue to make sure that we hold people in the health care profession and the pharmacy field accountable for this type of criminal activity. This does nothing more than advance the problems that we have in our state as it relates to the opioid crisis."
The Bureau and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration joined forces to make the arrests in Yazoo City, Tupelo, Itawamba County and Corinth.
MBN Deputy Director Steven Maxwell warns other health care providers against misconduct.
"For those individuals who continue to operate outside of the scope of their practice, we're going to identify you, we're going to target you and we're going to successfully investigate you and the end is going to be arrests and conviction."
The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics says they hope medical professionals will help them fight opioid abuse in Mississippi.
