The San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were among multiple NFL teams subjected to surprise inspections by the Drug Enforcement Administration on Sunday in regards to how they prescribe and distribute painkillers following road games, according to a report from ESPN.
DEA conducts surprise inspections of 49ers, Buccaneers over painkiller use
Multiple road teams were reportedly investigated on Sunday.
David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
By law, doctors cannot prescribe painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin when they are away from the facility registered with the DEA. This becomes an issue when NFL teams go on the road and doctors prescribe prescription painkillers following games. According to the report, the DEA is also investigating whether teams are keeping proper paperwork related to the prescriptions given.
“Our intelligence suggests controlled substances are not properly logged to specific players,” a source said, via ESPN.
DEA investigates NFL
According to the report, DEA officials, with the help of TSA screeners, were planning to inspect medical bags of traveling teams. A source told the Washington Post the DEA investigation involves every team and includes “possible distribution of drugs without prescriptions or labels, and the dispensing of drugs by trainers rather than physicians.”
The investigations were brought on from a lawsuit filed against the NFL by former players alleging they were often illegally prescribed painkillers to keep them on the field. That led to the DEA launching a probe on the NFL in July.
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