Doctor Pays Civil Penalties for Violating the Controlled Substances Act

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Richmond physician agreed to pay $24,000 in civil penalties for forging prescriptions for controlled substances for her own use in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.

On at least six occasions, Dr. Tanja Zlatkovic Zanin obtained blank prescription forms from her place of employment, forged the signatures of two physicians, and wrote, for her own use, prescriptions for Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance. Under the terms of a parallel administrative resolution, Dr. Zanin entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA under which she is not permitted to purchase or distribute controlled substances for twenty-four months. Dr. Zanin admitted to her misconduct and took full responsibility for her actions.

The Controlled Substances Act regulates individuals and companies that manufacture, distribute and dispense controlled substances. The law aims to protect the public’s health and safety from dangers posed by highly addictive or dangerous controlled substances, including the diversion or improper use of such substances, while also ensuring that patients have access to pharmaceutical controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the DEA’s Richmond District Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilene Albala and Robert P. McIntosh handled the Controlled Substances Act civil penalty matter. The administrative action was handled by John E. Beerbower of the DEA Office of Chief Counsel’s Diversion & Regulatory Litigation Section.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.