Affidavit reveals how police believe Colorado Springs doctor illegally filled opioid prescriptions

A local doctor is facing three felony drug charges after police say she asked other people to fill opioid prescriptions for her.

Dr. Agnes Flaum rents space out of an office building off North Academy, that’s where employees tell police Flaum would often come to work, “‘out of it’, stumbling, slurring her words and had bloodshot eyes.”

Employees tell police in the documents Flaum asked them to fill prescriptions written by her, but in the employees’ names, and to bring the drugs back to her.

According to the affidavit, one employee told police they felt “pressured and intimidated”, and filled two separate prescriptions for Flaum out of the Walgreens on North Academy and North Carefree Circle, but refused to fill a third.

Dr. Kevin Snyder with Achieve Whole Recovery that many people develop dependence when taking opioids but it can move over into addiction.

“It doesn’t really develop into what we would call an addictive behavior until you start trying to get that medicine outside your prescription,” Snyder said.

Snyder adds once dependence moves to addiction, without treatment, it’s nearly impossible to stop.

“To try to stop, it’s like trying to hold your breath,” Snyder said. “I mean 1 out of 10 people may be able to never use again, that means the other 9 out of 10 people are likely to relapse and that relapse may lead to death.”

The Colorado Medical Board and Flaum reached a non-disciplinary agreement about her license. The action said the board and Flaum agreed that for right now, she would not practice medicine that requires a license.