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Once Again, Jay Docs Give Up Controlled Substance Licenses
May 17, 2013
Two Jay doctors that were the target of a federal drug raid nearly two years ago have once again surrendered their licenses to prescribe narcotics.
Dr. C. David Smith and his son, Dr. Michael Smith of the Jay Medical Center, applied to reinstate their Drug Enforcement Agency licenses on April 22; the federal licenses were issued the following day and mailed, David Smith said on May 1.
They reportedly voluntarily surrendered their licenses again this week because there has been no clear word that any investigation against them has been completed.
On the morning of July 28, 2011, the FBI, DEA, the Attorney General’s Office, the Florida Department of Health and Florida Department of Law Enforcement spent hours inside the Jay Medical Clinic as Florida Highway Patrol troopers stood guard outside the complex. Federal and state agents could be seen inside the building, looking through patient files and other records. The removed many items including patient records and computer hard drives. Both doctors were forced to surrender their DEA licenses to write prescriptions for narcotics. The Jay Medical Center was able to reopen the following day.
“We never really heard anything back from the authorities,” Smith said May 1. “We are approaching the two year mark, and figured that no news was good news, and it was time to move forward.”
No charges have been filed against either man. None of the federal or state agencies involved in the 2011 raid have every commented on the investigation. The other two physicians in the practice, Dr. Marian B. Stewart and Dr. Jeffery S. Kelley were never targets of the investigation and never lost their licenses to issue all prescriptions, including narcotics.
David Smith has been a licensed physician in Florida since 1980, while Michael Smith has held his physician’s license since 2003. Neither man has any public complaints on file with the Florida Department of Health. Dr. David Smith was awarded a Florida Rural Health Association lifetime achievement award.
Pictured top: The Jay Medical Center was the target of a federal and state raid on July 28, 2011. Pictured bottom inset: Agents search records inside the facility. Pictured below: A state trooper stands guard outside the facility during the 2011 raid. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Once Again, Jay Docs Give Up Controlled Substance Licenses”
This entire episode of the problems the Drs. Smith have had is beyond the ridiculous at this point. What I would like t know is who are the accusers? Perhaps we will not know because they are hiding behind some organization or perhaps some hospital that knows Dr. David gets too much credit for getting Jay Hospital , in the first place. I taught David four years in high school and he has been my doctor since he came to Jay.-some 40+ years. Even though I live in N. Carolina now, I still consider Dr. David my primary care doctor. If the Drs. Smith have done something wrong(which I do not believe) let them know and let them get on with their lives. This whole thing has been going on entirely too long
Would you really expect a Federally Controlled office to handle this any differently. We “Americans” will give terrorist over a 100k to live and then they set bombs at public events and they wrap up investigation in under 6 months, so then someone says this investigation could take 10 years, thats bullhockey. This is the world we have weaved ourselves into. I don’t know these guys never been to them , but it sounds like they have a older community that requires more meds. FDA check it out and make the call ,2 years give me a break.
Most of you people commenting on this article are clueless about how investigations work and about the dr’s not being able to work. Investigations of this magnitude take years sometimes to clear or bring charges. There is a lot of evidence to be gone through and for those who support these doctors, I would think you would want the DEA to be thorough, even if it took 10 yrs so that the doctors could move forward and have their names cleared once and for all.
As far as the doctors not being able to work. It is my understanding that they can and are working in the doctor office that was raided. They cant however write prescriptions for narcotics. That isnt out of the ordinary. My doctor in Cantonment refers you to a pain clinic if you need more than 3 prescriptions for pain pills. That takes the liability off him of possibly overwriting for narcotics. I doubt his practice will be raided by the DEA.
As far as your identifies being stolen by the DEA and them going through the files and talking about you that is just ludacris. They dont care who has what, or who has had what done. They dont have time to sit around and talk about the patients, people they don’t even know,and to be quite frank we just arent that important to them.
In regards to identity theft what a joke. You’re identity is much more likely going to be stolen at a diner or from a bank than from an agency that has the security measures the DEA has put jn place to protect their information.
Where’s Justice for our Doctors in Jay. NO matter what you do to them , you can never make there patients go away. we love Dr Smith and Dr M Smith like I said before they are truely the Back Bone to our commuity , They need to help all there patients with all that they can and that means giving them there license’s Back .Why should some patients have to go to another Doctor for a medicaton , That they can not write at this time.we should not have to go to two different doctors , When Dr Smith has been your Doctor for 15 years , I mean WHY. DEA Get your Ducks in a row. and leave them alone.
I am with everyone else on this matter. Especially about my records. I have information in those records I need to get to so I can continue getting the help I need. I am with PW there now give back the records.
I also think it has been 2 years. What is the state of Florida looking for that they cannot find out already? It’s not like he had thousands of patients. 2 Years should be long enough. Either charge them or let them go and be the good doctors that they are. I would stand up in court and tell everyone just how good of doctors they are. I have told them so. If they need character witness’s I will be more then happy to do it. I will even go to Tallahassee stand on some desk to find out where my records are and why I cannot have them.
IT states that dr. smith voluntarily surrendered their licenses because it did not clearly state that they were threw and admitt that they found no wrong doing on their part. good thinking DAVID
You know we are faced with the possiblity of Identity Theft every day. Yet almost two years ago the DEA went in to these two Physicians offices and took possession of our private records from them and have never returned them. Under the HIPAA Law You don’t have the right to sue under HIPAA. The most you can do is file a complaint. So let’s see, we can’t sue under the HIPAA Law, but can we not file a Class Action Lawsuit against the DEA for Identity Theft of our private Medical Records. I want my records and my families records returned if not to these doctors, then to me. They have stole our identities, and they are no better than any thief on the streets for what they have done. We may be only a small person in a large circumstance, however together we need to be heard and represented to get our records back. Two years are a long time for someone to have my private records to show and discuss with others and to have my information stolen. It’s time for the people to take action against this, and a complaint won’t solve any issues as we have seen here in this case.
This is harrassement….can they file charges against the organization doing this to them?
I cannot Believe that Dr Smith and Dr M Smith have to keep gong threw this crazy crap with the DEA. They got the license back , and now They have to give them back , somethings wrong with this picture . Dr Smith and his son M Smith , Have been threw enough, DEA lEAVE THEM ALONG. They are the Back Bone of our commuity They have proved that in many ways. by no means have they done anythng wrong,I Believe the DEA are taking this way to far. Dr Davd Smith have saved so many lives, and has such a good Heart he doesn’t deserve all this stress. if it was not for the compassion and care Dr David had not given me I would not be here today,He saved my life 10 years ago and for that I will be forever greatful. His loves and cares for his patients. I’am Praying for this to be over soon.
Justice delayed is justice denied!
I realize that an investigation of this magnitude can take some time, especially on the federal level; but this much time seems excessive.
Criminals can get drugs, but people who really need them for pain cannot. What is the problem here. Something is just wrong here, or there is something we are not being told. Land of the free? Justice for all? Not since “the day the music died.”
Something it rotten in Denmark here! Sounds like a system that has ran amuck. Sure makes one ponder the possibilities and then one realizes the people with in the system who gave that order could care less what problems it create. they should be held accountable immediately. Either prove they have evidence of wrong doing or drop the case! Things like this make people not trust in the justice system.
Something isn’t right here. IF there is nothing going on, why are they VOLUNTARILY giving up their licenses again? This doesn’t make any sense. But, the government never makes any sense. My husband said that maybe it was an either/or situation. Either you give up your license or we press forward. For the two of them I hope this is resolved soon; and that the public will know the truth even sooner. I don’t know the doctors in question, but by word of mouth have heard many negatives about the Sr Dr Smith, and yet here in comments, I haven’t heard any negatives. Different perspectives,I guess. I just hope for these men’s sakes that the matter can be resolved soon so they can move on with their lives in what ever direction is allowed for them. TWO years does seem a bit ridiculous.
Whats going on here? The justice system has handcuffed these doctors for almost two years, WHY? Either charge them of leave them alone. I think the justice sucks with a capital stinks!
Once again an injustice to these two fine Physicians and their ability to provide great healthcare to their patients is hendered by government involvement and the speed in which it resolves unfounded issues. It’s time to allow these two Physicians to practice medicine and to allow them to continue to serve their communities, without any restrictions.
Amazing! In a world where one is considered innocent until ‘proven’ guilty, I just don’t understand how the ‘government’ can come in and disrupt, somewhat disable, a mans ability to perform his job completely, without ever filing charges and/or convicting him. Two years is a very long, almost ridiculous, amount of time to not have any info for these men to try to resolve their lives to a sense of normalcy. I also think about the amount of money that is being ‘billed’ to the people on this expedition which has yet to issue a single word on the status or findings in this case. Maybe I am naive, but after two years, I would assume that the ‘government’ could have given these men some form of idea as to why or if this case is to be resolved, and when. Because I know my opinion does not really count when it comes to the practices of the ‘government’…I lastly say..I appreciate what Dr. Micheal Smith and Dr. David Smith can and do give to this community. I stand behind them as a patient and a citizen of Jay, Florida.
I wish they would leave these fine doctors alone and let them do their job!