Pharmacy and Pharmacists Stand Accused of Ignoring Red Flags, Enabling Dangerous Prescribing Practices That Led to Patient’s Overdose Death

 Levin Papantonio (LP), on behalf of Mary Ann “Ann” Strickland, Personal Representative of the Estate of Andrew Dalton Strickland, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pace Pharmacy, LLC d/b/a Pace Pharmacy, and individuals Stephen Allen Burklow, Monique Burklow, and David Barron Winkles. The lawsuit was filed in Florida state court on Friday, June 13, 2025, and is being led by Levin Papantonio attorneys Peter Mougey and Jeff Gaddy.

The complaint arises from the tragic and preventable death of Andrew Strickland, a 47-year-old Escambia County resident who died on Father’s Day, June 18, 2023, just days after filling multiple prescriptions for potent controlled substances at Pace Pharmacy.

According to the complaint, Andrew Strickland became a patient of Dr. Elaine Sharp in early 2023 after suffering burn injuries in a bonfire accident. Dr. Sharp, a former physician in Escambia County, began prescribing powerful medications, including morphine and diazepam, which Andrew filled at Pace Pharmacy in Santa Rosa County. Records show he filled four prescriptions between June 1 and June 8, 2023. 

Just ten days later, Andrew was found unresponsive in his bedroom. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Just ten days later, Andrew was found unresponsive in his bedroom. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

“Andy was my special middle child,” said Ann Strickland, Andrew’s mother. “He was a funny, intelligent, caring young man with a promising future ahead of him. Our family will never be the same without him. We miss his laughter every single day.”

The medical examiner identified the cause of Andrew Strickland’s death as the combined toxic effects of fentanyl, morphine, buprenorphine, bromazolam, diazepam, and gabapentin.

“This case is about accountability,” Mougey said. “Pharmacies have a legal and moral duty to act as a line of defense against dangerous prescribing practices. In this case, that duty was catastrophically breached, and their failure to follow the law and their professional duties cost a man his life.”

Who Are the Defendants?

The lawsuit details the critical role each defendant played in the events leading to Andrew’s death:

• Pace Pharmacy, LLC is alleged to have held itself out to the public as a reputable pharmacy capable of safely filling prescriptions. Yet, the complaint asserts that Pace Pharmacy filled prescriptions for dangerous drug combinations and in unsafe quantities, without appropriate review or intervention.
• Stephen Burklow and David Winkles, both licensed pharmacists and agents of Pace Pharmacy, had a legal duty under federal and state law to ensure the prescriptions they dispensed were appropriate, necessary, and not indicative of clinical misuse or abuse. The complaint alleges they failed to review Andrew’s prescriptions in accordance with required protocols, ignoring clear red flags including drug-drug interactions, therapeutic duplication, and risk of overdose.
• Monique Burklow, along with Stephen Burklow, is identified as an owner and operator of Pace Pharmacy. Both are alleged to have been actively involved in managing the business and supervising staff. The lawsuit claims they are legally accountable for failing to enforce safe dispensing practices and failing to detect the dangerous volume and combination of medications being provided to Andrew Strickland and other patients of Dr. Sharp.

The Only Pensacola Pharmacy Filling Sharp’s Prescriptions

The complaint further notes that as early as 2019, federal DEA officials had flagged Dr. Sharp’s prescribing practices, uncovering that Pace Pharmacy was the only known pharmacy in the Pensacola region consistently filling her opioid prescriptions. 

Despite this knowledge, the pharmacy continued filling prescriptions for high-risk medications for Dr. Sharp’s patients.

“Andrew Strickland didn’t have to die,” Gaddy said. “The facts show a complete breakdown in the safeguards that should protect patients. We’re bringing this lawsuit to ensure that those responsible are held accountable and that no more families have to suffer a loss like this.”

Five Counts

The lawsuit outlines specific allegations against each defendant, organized into the following legal counts:

• COUNT I – Negligence, Gross Negligence, and Reckless Conduct of Pharmacist Stephen Allen Burklow
• COUNT II – Negligence, Gross Negligence, and Reckless Conduct of Pharmacist David Barron Winkles
• COUNT III – Negligence of Pace Pharmacy, LLC and Vicarious Liability for Actions of Pharmacy Staff
• COUNT IV – Negligence of Pace Pharmacy, LLC in its independent duties to ensure safe and lawful operation of the pharmacy

“These claims reflect the depth of the pharmacy’s failure to follow the law and professional standards that exist to prevent precisely this kind of tragedy,” Mougey said.