Police Say Woman Seeks 'Hillbilly Heroin' at Area Walgreens

West Des Moines and other metro area Walgreens pharmacies are on alert after a woman allegedly used different names to fill several fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and an hydrocortisone ointment.

Jill Grodhal, the pharmacy manager at the Walgreens store at 1999 Grand Ave. turned over surveillance footage of the suspect entering the store the morning of March 31, presenting the prescriptions and waiting for about 15 minutes for them to be filled, according to reports on file at the West Des Moines Police Department.

The pharmacy manager told police she didn’t know why the pharmacist on duty, who police were not able to identify, questioned the validity of the prescriptions after the fact. Grodhal said she became aware of the possibility of the fraudulent prescriptions after talking with colleagues at the Walgreens store at 4900 Mills Civic Parkway.

 “There are a lot of crimes surrounding the theft of drugs.” – Police Chief Shaun LaDue

After taking a report in that case, Senior Police Officer Jess Bill reportedly compared video from the two incidents and confirmed it was the same woman.

Further investigation revealed that pharmacists at the chain’s store at 22nd Street and Westown Parkway reportedly refused to fill the woman’s prescriptions. Clive police are investigating a similar complaint at the Walgreens store at 60th Street and University Avenue.

Prescription drug abuse is an increasingly prevalent crime, West Des Moines Police Chief Shaun LaDue told Patch in an interview late last year.

“It’s a trend throughout the Midwest,” he said.

Not all prescription drug crimes occur at pharmacies.

“People are taking the drugs of others in home burglaries and breaking into a motor vehicle,” LaDue said. “There are a lot of crimes surrounding the theft of drugs.”

The Drug Encorcement Administration says oxycodone is one of the msot abused narcotics in America. Common street names include "hillbilly heroin" and "kicker."

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