Drug company staffers allegedly impersonated physicians’ employee

The most prominent pharmaceutical executive to be criminally charged in the opioid epidemic is now free on bail. John Kapoor, founder of Insys therapeutics, was arrested Thursday in Phoenix. He posted bail of $1 million. The billionaire is accused of racketeering, conspiracy, fraud and other felonies.

Kapoor’s company makes Subsys, a fentanyl spray medication approved only for severe cancer pain. Prosecutors say Kapoor helped devise a plan to bribe doctors into prescribing the potent opiate to non-cancer patients, reports CBS News’ Jim Axelrod.

“I told my husband several times, ‘my gosh, he must be getting paid to prescribe these medications,'” said Carey Ballou.  

Ballou now believes she was kept on Subsys by her doctor for more than two years because he was getting bribed.

Watch the video and read the full story at CBSnews.com