A Westfield woman is accused of illegally obtaining prescription drugs, practicing medicine without a license, and writing prescriptions without being authorized to do so, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park and Westfield Police Chief David Wayman jointly announced Thursday.
Christine Chansky, 47, of Westfield, is charged with three counts of third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and single counts of third-degree unauthorized practice of medicine and third-degree obtaining a controlled dangerous substance by fraud.
The charges marked the culmination of an approximately three-month investigation involving the Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Unit and the Westfield Police Department.
The investigation revealed that from September 2015 into January 2016, Chansky allegedly distributed a combined total of nearly 1,400 pill doses of zolpidem, an anti-insomnia medication; tramadol, an opioid painkiller; and alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication.
Chansky allegedly distributed the drugs by illegally writing prescriptions for a friend and a family member, and also by writing prescriptions to nonexistent patients, all while she was unlicensed to practice medicine in New Jersey.
Chansky additionally had her New York State medical license suspended in May 2015, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) suspended her from writing prescriptions in any state in September 2015.
The charges against Chansky were served via summons Wednesday afternoon, and she is expected to make her first appearance in court next week.
Anyone with additional information about Chansky’s activities is being urged to contact Westfield Police Department Detective Dennis DaSilva or Detective Baron Chambliss at 908-789-4000.
Convictions on third-degree criminal charges are typically punishable by 3 to 5 years in state prison.