HARRISBURG – A Cumberland County dermatologist and her husband were arrested on charges of illegally prescribing and possessing prescription narcotics for their own consumption.
Attorney General Tom Corbett identified the defendants as Dr. Jennifer C. Zampogna and her husband, Christopher Zampogna, both 34 years old and residents of 5 Saratoga Place, Camp Hill. Dr. Zampogna is the owner of Advanced Dermatology and Skin Surgery, 950 Woodland St., Mechanicsburg.
“Prescription strength pain relievers are powerful and highly addictive substances,” Corbett said. “Just like illegal narcotics, these drugs can cause a normally responsible adult to do things seemingly out of character. However, addiction does not excuse someone of his or her crimes. And, in this case, we have a doctor who allegedly violated her medical oath to feed a loved one’s dependence.”
The court documents state that from February 2005 through February 2007 Dr. Zampogna was unlawfully obtaining quantities of Hydrocodone, a generic form of Vicodin, by writing prescriptions in the names of several family members and filling them at various pharmacies throughout Cumberland County. She picked up each prescription herself and paid for most of them in cash.
Corbett said Dr. Zampogna used the names of her family members without their knowledge or consent.
According to the court documents, Dr. Zampogna would remove the original prescription label with the patient’s information from the container and give the Hydrocodone tablets to her husband, Chris, for his and her own personal use. She kept more than 300 removed prescription labels at her office in Mechanicsburg.
In November 2006, Dr. Zampogna’s Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration was seized by officials; however, she allegedly continued to write prescriptions using the DEA registrations of two of her employees without their knowledge or consent.
On April 27, 2007, agents from the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and the DEA went to the office of Dr. Zampogna and found controlled substances — considered “office stock” — being kept without proper records.
Dr. Jennifer C. Zampogna is charged with one count each obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation or fraud, refusal or failure to keep required records, dispensing or prescribing to a drug dependant person, prescribing outside accepted treatment principles, and willful dispensing of a controlled substance without proper labeling.
Christopher Zampogna is charged with one count each possession of a controlled substance and obtaining a substance by misrepresentation or fraud.
Both defendants were arraigned by New Cumberland Magisterial District Judge Charles Clement. Dr. Zampogna was released on $100,000 unsecured bail and her husband, Christopher, was released on $50,000 unsecured. They both had to surrender their passports.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 9 a.m.
The case will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Lawrence Cherba of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
Corbett thanked the DEA and the Upper Allen Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.