In the midst of the opioid epidemic one would hope that physicians who distribute dangerous drugs would be a little more careful about their prescription practices and make sure patients were not there to abuse the drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration just announced that one such operation chose to ignore the current crisis and continued to allow patients to obtain medications paying in cash, with little to no medical examination first.
Three doctors from Delaware County, PA have been accused of selling almost $5 million dollars’ worth of pills out of their clinic based in Philadelphia. The doctors would even go so far as to send their associates to Narcotics Anonymous meetings and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to recruit new customers, people who recognized that they had a problem and were seeking help for it were put right back on the destructive path created by their addiction to medications.
Dr. Alan Summers ran the National Association for Substance Abuse-Prevention and Treatment clinic where thousands of patients went to obtain drugs and seemingly did not receive substance abuse treatment. They could pay cash for prescriptions and get them without an exam, which is mandatory in order for doctors to prescribe such medications. They got minimal substance abuse treatment, if any treatment at all. Dr. Azad Khan and Dr. Keyhosrow Paris were also indicted as part of the scheme, running practices in Collingdale and Fort Washington, respectively. The doctors were charged with health care fraud, money laundering, distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
The doctors distributed Klonopin, which is a sedative typically used to treat seizures or anxiety, and Suboxone which is intended to help wean people off painkillers but can oftentimes end up being just as addictive.
Many of the customers were allegedly drug dealers who would get their supplies from the clinic to then re-sell on the street. Dr. Summers also allegedly falsified health reports so that customers could pay for the prescriptions with their health insurance.
U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger said that the opioid crisis in this country is “exacerbated by doctors like these”.
“Every doctor who abandons his or her ethics to engage in the prescription-for-pay culture is breaking the law. They need to ask themselves whether it is worth the money to put people in danger, to risk the loss of their medical licenses, and to lose their freedom,” Memeger said.
If the doctors are convicted they could face prison time and significant fines.
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