Prosecutors notify 30 doctors about excessive opioid prescriptions
Federal prosecutors in Atlanta have put about 30 doctors on notice that they’ve been identified for prescribing opioids in significantly greater quantities or doses than their peers.
The doctors, who were not publicly identified but work in the metro and North Georgia area, were notified by letter. Some also were found to have prescribed opioids to patients who may have a high risk of abuse, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday.
“Medical professionals have an obligation to the safety and well-being of their patients,” U.S. Attorney BJay Pak said in a statement. “Many opioid prescribers may not realize that they are over-prescribing opioids. We aim to make these medical prescribers — who are outliers — aware of their atypical practices, so that they can make informed decisions about whether their opioid prescriptions are for a legitimate medical purpose.”
The letters are part of an initiative by the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce opioid prescriptions by one-third over the next three years. The Department of Justice has not determined if the 30 doctors who were put on notice have broken the law, but federal authorities will continue to monitor prescribing habits, Pak said.
In the letters, prosecutors provided the doctors with specific information about their prescription patterns. The doctors were also given guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.
Neil Campbell, executive director of the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, applauded the move.
“This is a really good thing,” she said. “There’s been such an abuse of prescriptions and it’s hurt a lot of people. Most doctors don’t want to give more painkillers than they need to, but unfortunately that’s not the case with everyone.”
At the same time, the public needs to realize that there are “good doctors out there who must prescribe high levels of painkillers for people with real chronic pain,” Campbell said. “Their numbers might look out of whack but, on balance, what they are doing is necessary for their patients.”
Last year, federal prosecutors obtained an indictment against former metro area medical examiner Joe Burton for prescribing opioids in exchange for sexual favors. Over a two-year period, beginning in July 2015, Burton wrote more than 1,500 prescriptions for about 350 different people for controlled substances, including opioid painkillers, prosecutors said.
The bulk of the prescriptions were given to women in return for sex. The nationally known, 73-year-old pathologist pleaded guilty and was sentenced in August to eight years in prison.
In its statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted that 140 Americans die from an opioid overdose every day and the epidemic was created, in part, by widespread over-prescriptions.
Have these Attorneys never heard of the “BELL CURVE” … if you take out the “top 30 prescribers” guess what happens… the next 30 automatically become the NEXT TOP 30 Prescribers !
The statements by these attorneys admit that THEY HAVE NO EVIDENCE – JUST DATA … they have no evidence of breaking any law.. they have no data on how many pts were prescribed… their condition… the average dose/pt
It is now too late for these 30 prescribers to get their financial house in order and create irrevocable trusts… because if they do it now they judicial will come back and determine that the transfer of assets is ILLEGAL TRANSFER and will CLAWBACK the assets and seize them anyway.
They did not divulge the name of these 30 prescribers, but when they do… my money is that all will be 50 -55+ y/o with sizeable assets that these bureaucrats want to seize and use for some other purpose that the state’s legislature will not fund otherwise.
On the “BULLSHIT SCALE” it is pegging the needle !
Filed under: General Problems
Bullshit is right! When are they goign to look out for people with severe health issues that cause chronic pain? This IS genocide and it is wht they want, for all of us to take option #3 and take our lives. The CPP community is splintered because of a few so called advocates who have only succeeded at ripping apart the communty. We MYST organize and unite. We MUST go the polls and vote out ALL incumbants to send a message that we are tired of the shit and we are done putting up with it!
Total Bullshit! The DOJ/ DEA is Running Wild.
Again where’s the common sense in all this? It just doesn’t exist. Sessions needs to be removed ASAP!