Doesn’t amaze everyone that in this particular “take down” the DEA is picking on a 78 y/o prescriber… if he has had a successful career … one can just imagine the net worth of this particular individual and given any “jail time ” at his age … could be a LIFE SENTENCE ! They give a time tablet of May 2016 to “last Oct”… since the article was published in May 2021… can it be presumed that it was Oct 2020 ? so the time frame seem to be 52 months, yet the indictment is for 242 counts – each count is a prescription written. So with 5 pts one could estimate that there would be 260 Rxs.. And in many cases the FIVE PTS received NEARLY 100 Opioid doses… implied “monthly”. What is “nearly 100 doses “? There is a LARGE DIFFERENCE between 100 doses of Oxycodone 5mg and 100 doses of Oxycodone 80 mg ER. Something like A SIXTEEN FOLD DIFFERENCE.
Did the DEA come to the conclusion that these “steroid injections” … “were neither reasonable nor medically necessary – is this because both the FDA and Upjohn the pharma that produced a particular steroid that is used in Epidural Spinal Injection (ESI) does not recommend this medication be used in ESI application. but this article only stated that the pts were given steroid injections – could have also been a MI injection…
According to this, Dr Lee’s practice provided — Anesthesiology Other Specialty Pain Management Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
https://doctor.webmd.com/doctor/john-lee-739f6de0-601a-45e9-805f-d8d09b224e3c-overview
Does this all mean that all “pain clinics” could end up being a target of the DEA … if they win their case against Dr Lee ? It is reported that there are abt 10 million ESI injections each year at $1000 – $3000 each. This means that this market is worth 10 – 30 billion a year.
How many pts did Dr. Lee have and/or how many pts did he treat each month ? So many unknowns and/or facts that the DEA is not sharing – at this time.
Peters doctor faces federal charges for opioid prescriptions, steroid injections
A Peters Township doctor was indicted on federal charges this week and accused of supplying unnecessary painkillers and steroid injections to several patients for more than four years at his South Hills clinic.
The 242-count indictment against John Keun Sang Lee accuses him of providing painkillers to five people on multiple occasions between May 2016 and last October, while also billing medical insurers for unneeded injections during that time period.
In the indictment, Lee, 78, of 125 Froebe Road, Venetia, allegedly offered various Schedule II prescription drugs “outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose” to the patients.
He faces one count for each of the 241 prescriptions he wrote for more than four years. In many cases, the five patients received nearly 100 opioid pills at a time each month.
The other charge accuses Lee of providing steroid injections that “were neither reasonable nor medically necessary,” but he charged Medicare and Medicaid for the procedures in attempt to defraud the health care programs, according to court documents.
The indictment also claims Lee performed the injections “directly against the patient’s express wishes” at times. Those injections increased his revenue, the indictment alleges, and he also paid bonuses to employees if they brought referrals.
Lee operated the Jefferson Pain and Rehabilitation Clinic at 4735 Clairton Blvd. in Whitehall Township.
The federal grand jury in Pittsburgh handed down the indictment Wednesday and it was made public Thursday. No attorney was listed for Lee as of Friday afternoon.
Filed under: General Problems
There are all different kinds of ‘cartels’ (read thieves).
I’m so sick of reading stories like this. But if your part of the cartel there
Is no problem. They can keep bringing there illegal drugs into our country because part of the DEA along with the scumbag politicians are in on letting them slide . I’m sure the DEA n the politicians are getting a cut from the cartels for there “hospitality ” But be a caring Doctor cutting into the cartels illegal drugs you get arrested and lose everything you worked your whole life to achieve. There has to be a way a law firm would have the big ones to go against these scumbags an defend these doctors. Other than a lawsuit this stealing by politicians an certain dirty DEA agents will continue
I agree with replies above. I would also like to point out that it’s UNREASONABLE and INVASIVE to be forced to get injections that don’t work at all on many patients, but if they refuse, they are cut off of medically necessary pain medications. I have had every injection, blocks, RHF procedures (Rhyzotomies?) nerve tests, bone density tests and more. Some PRIOR to multilevel fusions with a rod and cages implanted in my lower back. When will this madness end? It might help some of the doctors I know who have been destroyed by DEA charges, if they would require medical records when accepting new patients, and I mean ACTUALLY GETTING THEM. All but two of my Pain management doctors never bothered to even send for them after my permission was granted. Help your doctor and yourself by providing CD copies when you go to your first visit. I’ll stop before I write a book. Thank you Steve Arians for sharing these important topics.