Clinician Crime: February 2024 Round-Up

Physician’s Unlawful Prescribing of Controlled Substances Leads to Patient Death 

A primary care physician from Pennsylvania has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for unlawfully prescribing oxycodone, fentanyl, and methadone to 3 patients. A jury found the doctor guilty on 71 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, one of which resulted in the death of a 48-year old woman. The 3-week trial included testimony from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-Diversion Division, multiple pharmacists who refused to fill the doctor’s prescriptions, as well as experts in pain medicine, toxicology, and pathology. In addition to the prison term, the doctor was ordered to pay a fine of $50,000. Following his release from prison, he will be supervised by a probation officer for 3 years.

Prescription Drug Conspiracy Lands Nurse in Federal Prison

A Florida nurse has been sentenced to 3 years in federal prison for conspiring with another individual to distribute controlled substances in the names of individuals without lawful authority. Prior to forfeiting her licenses, the nurse was an advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, and DEA registrant, which gave her the authority to issue prescriptions for controlled substances. After her licensing became delinquent, she conspired with another individual who provided her with more than a dozen identifications and drivers licenses. She then proceeded to issue prescriptions for promethazine with codeine and oxycodone in exchange for payment. Thirty-four of these illegally issued prescriptions were for oxycodone and hydromorphone written for her deceased husband.

Psychiatrist Convicted of Money Laundering and Importing Illegal, Misbranded Drugs

A psychiatrist from Massachusetts has been convicted of international money laundering, illegally importing merchandise contrary to law and receiving and delivering misbranded drugs. For approximately 10 years, the physician purchased naltrexone pellet implants and disulfiram pellet implants and injections from Hong Kong. While both naltrexone and disulfiram have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence and alcohol dependence, respectively, neither product is available in an implantable pellet formulation in the US. To conceal that the packages contained drugs, the doctor falsified shipping documents claiming that the packages contained “plastic beads in plastic tubes.” The psychiatrist then proceeded to implant these drugs into patients, who later testified that they experienced infections and complications related to the pellet implantation procedure. In addition to large fines, the charges of money laundering and importation of merchandise contrary to law each provide a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. 

NP Charged With Writing Amphetamine Rxs for No Legitimate Medical Reason

A New York psychiatric nurse practitioner (NP) has been arrested and charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is being accused of prescribing amphetamine on 40 occasions to an individual who was never his patient. The charge of distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million.

Nurse Removes Fentanyl From IV Bag, Replaces With Saline 

A former nurse from Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to adulteration of a prescription drug. While working at a Massachusetts hospital, the nurse removed a bag of intravenous (IV) fentanyl solution from an automated dispensing machine and using a syringe, removed fentanyl from the bag. She then injected the bag with saline to replace the missing solution and returned the bag to its drawer in the machine. The bag was subsequently removed by a hospital employee before it was able to reach any patient. Testing confirmed that the bag contained less than the declared concentration of fentanyl and the nurse later admitted what she had done. Based on the charge, the nurse may face up to 3 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000.