DA closes pharmacy, calling it a "drug dealer with a license"

<p>ALBANY, Ga. (AP _ A pharmacy linked to a doctor accused of over-prescribing painkillers that may have caused as many as seven deaths was temporarily closed by the district attorney, who described it as a "drug dealer with a license."</p><p>In closing the TLC Pharmacy in Albany on Wednesday, Dougherty County District Attorney Ken Hodges said it was the only one in town that would fill prescriptions from George C. Lawrence Jr., a physician who was arrested in July for allegedly over-prescribing pain medications.</p><p>Hodges said his office believes some of Lawrence's patients may have died from overdoses.</p><p>"There have been seven that we're linking," the DA said Thursday. "There are more ... that we'll be looking into.</p><p>"Lawrence wrote the prescriptions, TLC filled them and people died from overdoses of medication they shouldn't have been taking," Hodges said.</p><p>He said the pharmacy was dispensing the narcotic painkiller Dilaudid in 8 milligram doses _ a level usually limited to hospitals and hospice centers _ and some of its customers got their prescriptions filled and then distributed the drugs illegally.</p><p>A judge signed a court order Wednesday suspending the licenses of Lawrence and the store's pharmacist, Thomas McSwain. The state medical board had already suspended Lawrence's license to practice medicine.</p><p>Hodges said the pharmacy investigation was a civil case that could lead to criminal charges against McSwain, other pharmacy employees and to additional charges against Lawrence.</p><p>Lawrence is already facing charges of purchase and possession of a controlled substance, officials said. He is free on $5,000 bond and has never commented publicly on his legal problems.</p><p>McSwain has an unlisted phone number.</p><p>The pharmacy reopened Thursday under new management, Hodges said.</p>