Wix.com PAPDA 3 created by Kenny12554 based on Small Biz Services

Parents Against Prescription Drug Abuse Fighting to stop to the corrupt "Pill Mill" clinics!PAPDA

Home

About PAPDA

PAPDA News

Our Son Christopher

Help Support PAPDA

Mission

PAPDA Memorials

PAPDA Friends

"Because no mother should have to live the nightmare of burying her child."Esther Scarborough On Sunday morning September 23rd, 2007 Ken & Esther Scarborough awoke to discover the lifeless body of their 25 yr old son Christopher; dead from a "lethal" prescription of Vicodin, Soma, and Xanax obtained only 4 days earlier from a corrupt walk in "pill mill" clinic in Texas. Home

Esther Scarborough available for Speaking engagments.

What is a "Pill Mill?"

The "Cocktail."

Esther and Ken Scarborough are available for speaking engagements to students, schools, community groups and business meetings across the country. Their story is not only heartbreaking but inspiring as well as educational. Theirs is the heartbreaking story of losing their only son to a corrupt "pill mill" clinic then turning that loss into a nationwide campaign against prescription drug abuse. The Scarboroughs were initially invited to Austin Texas to tell their story before The Texas State Senate. Shortly afterward, they were asked to assist Texas law makers and law enforcement agencies in bringing about sweeping new changes in Texas Law that has saved countless lives in their State,Their story has been featured by legendary CBS News anchor Dan Rather on his HD Net presentation; Dan Rather Reports. Additionally, ABC News "Nightline" has chronicled the Scarborough's story as well. Please contact the Scarboroughs for your next event.
The State of Florida's Office of Drug Control defines a Pill Mill as a "slang or street term" used to describe a doctor's office, clinic, or healthcare facility that routinely and purposely engages in the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances outside the scope of the prevailing standards of medical practice within the community or State where it is located.Pill Mill facilities are known for prescribing huge amounts of narcotics to virtually anyone walking in their doors. Typically the patient must pay a STRICTLY CASH office visit fee ranging from $75 to $150. These clinics typically are "walk in" operations and masquerade as "pain management" facilities. They attempt to make themselves appear as "legitimate" medical operations. However, in most cases they can be easily identified by huge crowds standing in long lines waiting to get inside. The clinics typically ask VERY FEW questions, require very few if any medical records, and prescribe virtually the identical medications to every patient. These medications are usually Vicodin, Soma, and Xanax.Pill Mills are NOT to be confused with the many legitmate pain management physicians and clinics. There are many excellent clinics staffed by highly trained and dedicated physicians specializing in the treatment of chronic pain. It is unfortunate that the "unethical" pill mill operations are causing the legitmate clinics to come under fire.PAPDA is no way attempting or lobbying for the removal of narcotic pain medication from the marketplace. Clearly medications such as Vicodin, Soma, Xanax, Percocet, Demoral and others ARE WONDERFUL MEDICATIONS when properly prescribed and administered by legitimate, caring and trained medical personnel. However, these medications are also among the most abused on the market today.
The word "Cocktail" is another "slang" or street term given to a unique combination of prescription drugs; Vicodin, Soma, and Xanax. Consuming these three drugs is what is known as taking the "cocktail."The Vicodin is an opiate based narcotic painkiller containing hydrocodone. It is typically prescribed for moderate to intense pain. Soma is a muscle relaxant and Xanax tablets are prescribed for anxiety.When properly prescribed by a licensed MD, these medications are wonderful for those who genuinely need them. However, when abused... they can cause the most serious side effects, addiction, and damage to the body.

Learn more

Click below to watch Ken & Esther's story recently featured on ABC News Nightline. Click Below to watch

Contact Esther Scarborough PAPDA Founder

1-409-466-1271

www.esther.papda_live.com

Ken Scarborough PAPDA Business Mgr.

1-409-466-1271

www.papda_live.com

About PAPDA

Esther Scarborough PAPDA Founder

Parents Against Prescription Drug Abuse (PAPDA) is a registered 501-3C Texas Non Profit Corporation formed in 2009 by Ken, Esther, & Jessica Scarborough.

PAPDA Leadership

Esther and Ken can best be described as the typical American couple. They were virtually childhood sweethearts, having met and fell in love at the age of 18. They have been married for 33 years and were blessed with two wonderful children, a handsome son Christopher, 25 (deceased) and beautiful daughter Jessica now 28.Esther has worked in County Government for more than 15 years and serves as County Floodplain Administrator for their small East Texas hometown of Kountze. Ken is a former Xerox Marketing Executive and business man. He is now retired and devotes his full time to PAPDA. While the Scarborough's readily admit they are not trained professionals, Ken has undergone extensive training in both chemical addiction and intervention since the death of their son. Jessica Scarborough Crozier pictured below; was Christopher's younger sister whom he "adored." For Jessica, losing her big brother was overwhelming... and even today she is unable to speak of him without breaking into tears. "I just hope something can be done about these corrupt doctors and pharmacists before more people have to die. Losing my brother was a pain that I would not want to see anyone have to endure. It almost destroyed my parents as well as our entire family." Jessica works in law enforcement as a trained Evidence Technician for The Hardin County Sherriff's Department in Kountze Texas. She devotes much of her time to the PAPDA Organization and along with her parents...she too speaks publicly at many schools, civic meetings and gatherings. Jessica also serves on The PAPDA Board of Directors. On Sunday morning September 23rd, 2007 the Scarborough's entire world was turned upside down when Esther found their son Christopher lying DEAD in the bedroom he shared with his parents. Christopher had suffered an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. In the ensuing months the couple found ourselves "emotionally destroyed" and simply unable to understand how such a tragedy could befall their family. As a father Ken felt responsible somehow as fathers do. Esther Scarborough: "I had never in 33 years of marriage seen my husband in so much pain, and I know that Jessica had never before seen her father weeping as he did that day." As for Esther, in the weeks and months following; she began to process her grief in a different manner. As more facts surrounding Christopher's death began to emerge, the more resolute and determined she became to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families. Once it was discovered that four days prior to his death; Christopher had been handed a prescription at a local "pill mill" for a combination of more than 360 highly addictive narcotic painkillers, Esther immediately knew that "something" had to be done to stop these corrupt physicians and pharmacists! (Vicodin, Soma, & Xanax)Esther Scarborough; "I had always admired the Mothers Against Drunk Driving MADD Organization and began to envision the possibility of an organization which could be be focused entirely on Prescription Drug Abuse as well as the corrupt medical clinics and corrupt doctors. Ken and I were so unprepared for the enormous response we received once we formed PAPDA. We began receiving phone calls and emails from virtually everywhere."Ken Scarborough; "I am aware that my son had an addiction to prescription drugs and I accept that responsibility as his father. But that is absolutely no excuse for some, "doctor" handing him a script for 360 pills and walking away! What kind of person does that!? I have known MY primary care physician for more than 35 years, we are very close friends. Even with such a close relationship I could only imagine his response if I were to walk into his office tomorrow and ask for 360 Vicodin tablets. He would doubtless look at me as though I had lost my mind. Yet, this is exactly what goes on every day in these shady pill mill clinics. It's insane and we are going to do whatever it takes to stop it. As a rule, I am not one who endorses or advocates for more government restrictions on the free enterprise system, but THIS is not a matter of BUSINESS, it is a matter of life and death."In early 2009 Ken & Esther formed "Parents Against Prescription Drug Abuse" (PAPDA) with the mission to help provide education as well as support to as many individuals as possible. The primary motivation and hope behind PAPDA is to help prevent other parents and family members from having to experience the same devastation and pain that was encountered by our family.

Ken Scarborough Jessica Crozier

PAPDA Business PAPDA Board Member

Marketing Director

PAPDA News blackline

PAPDA is recognized by DEA Officials

$360,000.00 Bond set for accused pain clinic doctor.

WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA —

A judge on Friday set bond at $360,000 for Dr. Gerald Klein, accused of first-degree murder in the death of patient he treated while involved in what prosecutors say was the largest illegal pain clinic network in the country.

Circuit Judge Joseph Marx ordered that 77-year-old Klein surrender his passport, not practice medicine and remain on house arrest if he posts bond.

His bond amount is more than three times that of Jeff George, head of the pain clinic network who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder this week in exchange for his cooperation with local and federal prosecutors against others, including Klein.

Local prosecutors last week announced the charges against of George and Klein in the death of Joey Bartolucci, 24, whose sudden death was profiled in The Palm Beach Post in November 2009. He was found within "close proximity" of a "massive dose of narcotics" that were prescribed by Klein, who was employed as a dispensing physician at the East Coast Pain Clinic, according to a probable cause affidavit.

We would like to thank the National Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for this beautiful plaque from the 2011 Houston Candlelight Vigil. We are always happy to help in any way possible. We were flattered to receive this plaque and had no idea it was being presented to us. The entire Houston DEA Organization does an amazing job and we consider it a great honor to work with such an outstanding team of law enforcement professionals. Thank you again!Ken & EstherPAPDA

Our Son Christopher

Our Son Christopher Scarborough; Written by Ken Scarborough

Our case studies are:

Pellentesque eleifend Dolor in elementum mollis, urna velit dignissim nisi, at tincidunt ipsum mi quis ante. Quisque iaculis egestas velit. Quisque sit amet libero a mauris condimentum hendrerit. Mauris rutrum facilisis dolor. Sed a leo. Aliquam erat volutpat.
Christopher was our first born and our only son. As you can imagine, he was our pride and joy, he was 25 yrs old at the time of his death. To his younger sister, Jessica...he was "Bubba" ...and he adored her. Chris had an unbelievable number of friends and was even voted "most popular" by his school mates. He loved football, basketball, and was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. For many years we lived in a very rural area in Southeast Texas. On Chris' 17th birthday he walked down the street to visit a friend. When he returned home later that evening, his behavior became so irratic and out of control that we were not able to handle him physically. We were forced to call for help to calm him down. We later discovered that he had been given two Xanax tablets and a beer as a birthday gift! These were Xanax that belonged to his friends parent. The next day Christopher had no memory of the incident and felt terrible that this had happened. I remember the next morning... he went around to virtually everyone "apologizing" for the incident and asking for forgivness. Esther and I truly believe it was THAT NIGHT that changed Christopher's life forever. From the moment he ingested the Xanax..."something" inside of his body triggered ...and from that night forward Christopher would struggle with a crippling addiction to prescription drugs for the rest of his life. Unlike some with this addiction, Chris was always able to work. He held a full time job in industrial sales and was always one of his company's top producers. He loved his job and coworkers and even owned his own company for a time. He knew that he had an addiction to prescription drugs and hated it. It was embarrassing to him and he actually checked himself into rehab on three different occasions over a span of eight years. As with most addicts, many times he would be able to to remain "clean" for a year or longer. Then "out of the blue"... something would again pull that trigger within his body and he would fall into a relapse. He would try his best to mask it but he knew he was unable to hide it.Christopher passed away on Sunday morning Sept. 23rd, 2007. Esther tried unsuccessfully to revive him while his sister and I called 911 for assistance. He died virtually "in the arms" of his mother, his sister, and myself ...at home in his bed. We later discovered that on September 18, four days prior to his death, Christopher had visited a Beaumont, Tx "pill mill" clinic where he was prescribed a massive amount of prescription narcotics. We learned that he had never before been to this clinic. Even so, he was asked for NO MEDICAL RECORDS OR INFORMATION WHATSOEVER, he was NEVER SEEN BY A PHYSICIAN, NEVER EXAMINED, and yet within 5 minutes of his arrival was handed a prescription for a combination of more than 360 high addictive narcotic painkillers (Vicodin) muscle relaxers, (Soma) and anxiety pills (Xanax). Ironically, that same day (September 18, 2007), the doctor who had authorized the prescription was arrested in Houston on a number of charges including non-therapeutic prescribing of controlled substances and Medicare fraud. By the way, you are reading that number correctly...360 pills. Christopher was then directed (by signs posted inside the clinic) to drive more than 30 miles away to the ONLY pharmacy willing to fill a script of this magnitude and from this clinic. There were at least twenty pharmacies within a five mile radious of the clinic who would not acknowledge the scripts as being for "medical purposes." Thus, they flatly refused to fill ANY scripts from this clinic. It was obvious that the one specific pharmacy was conspiring with the clinic to distribute as many drugs as possible to as many people as possible. Four days after filling that prescription, our son was DEAD. Cause of death? Combined Drug Toxicity from the exact three drugs prescribed to him that day. Vicodin, Soma, Xanax. Those three and ONLY those three.

Veni vidici sopum possum det

1-800-900-907

info_e-consulting.com

Supportum Tecnicum dit possibolo

1-800-955-907

supp_e-consulting.com

Help Support PAPDA

Click here to donate to PAPDA

Please help support PAPDA

It is never easy asking for financial support, especially in this economic climate. Someone once said; "it shouldn't cost anything to save a life." Unfortunately it does cost. It costs more than you can imagine especially when you are combating corrupt wealthy "pill mill" operations making millions of dollars monthly. It has been reported that "pill mills" are directly responsible for 7 deaths DAILY. PAPDA is a registered 501-3C Texas Non Profit Corporation and your tax deductable gifts enable us to keep fighting for every person and every family affected by Prescription Drug Abuse. Your support is critical to PAPDA's continued efforts in this cause. Please help with whatever amount you can afford. If you are unable to support PAPDA financially, we understand... and ask only that you keep the victims and their families in your prayers.Ken & Esther

Mission

PAPDA Mission Statement

At PAPDA our #1 goal is to assist as many individuals and families as possible whose lives have been impacted by prescription drug abuse. We are also committed to working with law enforcement, schools, business and civic organizations in an effort to raise awareness to the rising epidemic of prescription drug abuse. We are committed to ending the unethical practice of non- therapeutic prescribing of controlled substances. We are also committed to do everything within our power to legally bring about the eradication of medical operations known as "pill mill" clinics. These are medical offices which typically "masquerade" as pain clinics but in actuality are nothing more than licensed "drug dealers." They are often easily recognizable by long lines of individuals waiting to access the building. These clincs operate on a STRICTLY CASH basis where the patient is charged anywhere from $75 to $150 for the office visit. Individuals are seen on a "first come - first serve" basis, there are no appointments are accepted. Virtually every patient receives the identical prescription for massive amounts of Hydrocodone, Soma, and Xanax. Afterward; the patient is usually directed to take the prescription to ONE SPECIFIC PHARMACY in order to have it filled. These are pharmacies which are in collusion with, and many times "owned" by the clinic itself. Most "conventional" or chain pharmaices such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and others will decline to fill scripts from these clinics. PAPDA is also committed to HONORING the many thousands of dedicated, professional, and legitimate physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and medical personnel providing quality healthcare to their patients. PAPDA is in no way advocating the ban of narcotic and / or opiate based medications. We recognize that these medications serve a beneficial and many times critical role in the pain management relationship between doctor and patient. Furthermore, we are in no way attempting to disrupt or intefere with the ever-important "doctor-patient" relationship.
PAPDA Memorials

Perhaps YOU have a friend or family member whose life was lost as a result of prescription drug abuse. If so, PAPDA would be honored to include your loved one here on our memorial wall. Please feel free to email their name and photo to us and we will glady honor them here.

Michael Allen

Jimmy Lynn Dunigan Passed away April 8th, 2009 Jimmy is pictured here with his three young sons; ages 5, 9 & 10yrs old. Jimmy family says he visited a local "pain management" clinic ONE day prior to his death. He was handed a LETHAL script for a combination of more than 300 Vicodin, Soma, and Xanax. Twenty four hours later Jimmy is deadof an accidental overdose. As a result these 3 wonderful young men will never againsee their father in this lifetime. Why? Because the doctor cared NOTHING about truly HELP Jimmy. It was much easier to simply hand him a lethal script and take Jimmy's money.

PAPDA Friends

Texas State Senator Tommy Williams

Texas Senator Tommy Williams was instrumental in authoring Texas Senate Bill 911 which was passed into law in 2010. It requires pain management clinics to be certified by the Texas Medical Board and gives the Board the needed tools to investigate and regulate these clinics. The Bill also makes it necessary for the clinics to be owned and operated by a licensed physician.Learn more about Senator Williams at http://www.williams.senate.state.tx.us/ Rep. Mike Tuffy Hamilton, TXState Representative Mike Hamilton is a native of Southeast Texas and has been a successful restaurateur for many years. He is currently a proprietor of a local catering business. In 2002, Mike was elected to represent District 19, which includes Hardin, Newton, and part of Orange County. Serving his first legislative session in Austin, Rep. Hamilton was appointed to the Natural Resources Committee and served as Vice Chairman of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee. Rep. Hamilton was also appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve as a member of the Energy Council, which is comprised of legislators from Texas and the surrounding states. At the conclusion of the 78th legislative session, Rep. Hamilton was named by the Republican Caucus as their Outstanding Freshman Legislator of the Year, and was honored by the Texas Association of Realtors who inducted him into their Legislative Hall of Fame.

PARENTS AGAINST PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSEwww.PAPDA.net