Dentist’s License Suspended For Illegally Prescribing Drugs

There’s a huge market for prescription medications. Many people pay big bucks to get their hands on highly addictive pain relievers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. Because of this, those who have access to these drugs often try to sell them for a lot of money. For example, pharmacists, medical professionals and dentists often sell fake prescriptions. This practice, however, is illegal and can lead to license suspension, fines and other penalties.

A dentist in Kentucky had his license suspended by the state board after illegally prescribing prescription drugs to patients. On September 21, 2020, the 48-year-old dentist was served with a Notice of Immediate Temporary Suspension (ITS). He was not allowed to practice dentistry during the suspension.

However, the dentist continued to prescribe controlled substances and see patients. While on suspension, he prescribed more than 175 oxycodone pills and approximately 625 hydrocodone pills.

On January 6, 2021, the man was evicted from his dental office. The following month, on February 15, 2021, the dentist met a patient in a parking lot next to the former dental office. He wrote prescriptions for penicillin and hydrocodone. He charged the patient $200 for the prescriptions and promised dental work. However, the dentist never completed the dental work. The pharmacy refused to fill the prescriptions and the dentist never returned the money to the patient.

The dentist has been charged by federal criminal complaint. He is facing charges of prescribing oxycodone and hydrocodone in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841. He faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. 

Dispensing Controlled Substances

Only a practitioner may prescribe or dispense controlled substances for valid medical purposes. A practitioner is defined as someone who is allowed to use controlled substances in their profession, such as dentists, doctors, pharmacists and veterinarians.

Even though practitioners have access to controlled substances, they must prescribe them lawfully. This means that the practitioner must have a professional relationship with the person to whom the medication is prescribed. In addition, the medication must be prescribed for a purpose in line with the practitioner’s area of practice.

There are several ways in which a prescription can be prescribed or dispensed illegally. They include:

• Delivering the controlled substance without a valid prescription (oral or written)
• Refilling a prescription that has no remaining refills
• Refilling a prescription without authorization
• Filling a prescription after it has expired
• Prescribing a medication without a doctor-patient relationship
• Delivering a controlled substance to a person other than the patient 

Keep Your License With Help From a Tampa Dentistry License Lawyer

Dentists have a duty to give patients the best care possible. Prescribing medications for non-dental purposes is a serious issue that can impact one’s license.

If you are facing license suspension and other administrative issues, Tampa dentistry license lawyer David P. Rankin can help. He can help you get a favorable outcome and even help you keep your practice. Schedule a consultation today by calling (813) 968-6633 or filling out the online form.

Resource:

justice.gov/usao-wdky/pr/louisville-dentist-charged-unlawfully-dispensing-controlled-substances