Since the beginning of time people have found a way to make a living – often times illegally. Things are as bad now as ever. Prescription drugs are all the rage now.

Federal drug agents filed multiple charges against three New Hampshire residents accused of stealing a local doctor's identity in order to fraudulently obtain and distribute powerful prescription medications.

The arrests are part of a continuing, year-old crackdown by federal, state and local police agencies on prescription drug abuse. About 50 people have been charged in recent months, including five law enforcement officials accused of helping to smuggle tens of thousands of stolen oxycodone tablets into Connecticut from Florida.

On Thursday, federal agents arrested Linda McDougal, 51, of Niantic, as well as Susan Turitto, 53, and Craig Levine, 54.

McDougal, Turitto and Levine are charged with multiple counts of illegal distribution of controlled substances; fraudulently obtaining controlled substances, and making false statements. The charges carry five- and 10-year prison sentences.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the three after the state Department of Consumer Protection received a call from an unidentified pharmacist who suspected that he had been presented with a fraudulent prescription for 60 vicodin tablets.

McDougal was hired by the New London doctor as an office assistant in 2005. Her duties gave her access to the federal registration information the doctor was required to use when ordering medicines or submitting prescriptions for patients.

McDougal is accused of using the information to place orders for fraudulent prescriptions at area pharmacies in her name and the names of relatives.

She also is accused of placing orders for bulk quantities of painkillers for delivery to the doctor's office without the doctor's knowledge.

McDougal resigned from her job with the doctor in 2009 and, on her recommendation, he hired Turitto, according to authorities. Turitto is accused of continuing to place fraudulent orders for prescriptions and bulk quantities of medicines for herself and Levine.

I bet you could find this same scenario 100 times in any major city and in most small towns. The nation needs to band together to stop this prescription drug abuse.