pill mill
noun1
Idiomatic, Informal A clandestine operation where a medical worker illicitly offers prescription medication to patients in exchange for bribes.
- Four men who helped Jeff and Chris George run their lucrative pill mills received sentences ranging from 9 months to 14 years today in federal court.2011, Jane Musgrave, “4 men sentenced in pill mill scheme”, in The Palm Beach Post, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2012:
- Needless to say, the professional bullying from the primary care physicians (PCPs) and the [hospital] administrators to run both a pill mill and a needle jockey business was tremendous. I resisted the entire time, but god it wore me out. [From a pain specialist for a large multi-specialty group.]2014 April 25, JB McMunn, M.D., “The Stealthy, Ugly Growth of Corporatized Medicine”, in Naked Capitalism, archived from the original on 23 Jun 2025:
1 more example
- As state attorney general, [Pam] Bondi was widely praised for her crackdown on opioid pill mills and for her work combatting human trafficking.2026 January 20, Stephanie McCrummen, “What Happened to Pam Bondi?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 21 Jan 2026:
- Related terms
- diploma mill, paper mill, pill popper, malpractice, overmedication, overprescription, overtreatment