On May 11, 2022, detectives from the Narcotics Division of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office received information about fraudulent prescriptions being written and sold.
According to detectives, multiple sources identified 62 year-old Dr. Neelam Uppal as a potential source of writing the illegitimate prescriptions, specifically for Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone. Detectives learned since January of 2022, Uppal sold over five hundred and fifty (550) Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescriptions and hundreds of Oxycodone prescriptions. Detectives say Dr. Uppal has been preying on drug addicts for several years. She also has a lengthy history of license suspensions and complaints from the Florida Board of Medicine.
Throughout the course of the investigation, Uppal prescribed both Promethazine Codeine Syrup and Oxycodone to undercover detectives without ever seeing, examining or speaking to them. Detectives received the prescriptions after paying $650.00 cash for each Promethazine Codeine Syrup prescription and $450.00 cash for each Oxycodone prescription.
The Florida Department of Health shows Uppal to be on probationary status due to administrative complaints.
On July 26, 2022, detectives served a search warrant at Uppal’s residence located at 17715 Gulf Boulevard, Apartment #302 in Redington Shores and her office at 1407 Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater.
Uppal primarily conducted business from her residence but had also done so at Northside Hospital. While detectives were at Uppal’s residence two individuals arrived to obtain additional fraudulent prescriptions.
Detectives located the following items in the search:
Multiple prescription pads
Minimal patient records and documents
Multiple handwritten ledgers
Multiple prescriptions filled out with a variety of patients’ names
$1,906,483.00 in US Currency
Gold bars and jewelry valued at approximately $175,000
Uppal was charged with three counts of Trafficking in Codeine and three counts of Trafficking in Oxycodone.
She was taken into custody and transported to the Pinellas County Jail.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was also present and served Uppal with a civil injunction to revoke her ability to further prescribe medication.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division will continue to pursue doctors who are preying on addicts and contribute to doctor shopping.
It is unknown how long this was occurring and if detected within an acceptable timeframe, if at all, by the Florida Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (E-Forcse). The program records a pharmacy dispensing and physician prescribing of controlled substances.
The investigation continues.