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Alexanderian pleads guilty to drug charges (largest supplier of Tylenol 3 in country)
Citizen's Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA) ^ | 5/25/05 | Edward Lewis

Posted on 05/25/2005 5:28:37 AM PDT by Born Conservative

A 78-year-old West Pittston doctor who state authorities called the largest supplier of Tylenol with codeine in the country pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally prescribing drugs and treating heroin addicts without a license.

Dr. Harry Alexanderian, Susquehanna Avenue, is tentatively set to be sentenced July 20 on seven counts of prescribing and delivering controlled substances outside the scope of treatment principles, five counts of Medicaid fraud, three counts of prescription of controlled substances not in good faith, and one count each of improper treatment of drug dependent persons and dealing in unlawful proceeds.

The state attorney general's office withdrew a single count of prescription of controlled substances not in good faith. Dr. Alexanderian pleaded guilty to the charges before Luzerne County Senior Judge Gifford S. Cappellini. His attorney, Frank Nocito, could not be reached for comment.

Agents with the state attorney general's Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control seized more than 190,000 tablets consisting of Tylenol with codeine, Xanax, Diazepam (Valium) and Phendimetrazine, a weight loss drug, from Dr. Alexanderian's home on March 23, 2004.

He had his medical office in the basement of his home. He wasn't charged until Oct. 4. A review of Dr. Alexanderian's financial records revealed he purchased in excess of $538,000 worth of drugs from various pharmaceutical companies between December 2001 and February 2004, authorities said.

Federal documents that list transactions of controlled substances from drug companies showed Dr. Alexanderian bought up to 55,000 tablets of Tylenol with codeine, making him the largest physician purchaser of the drug in the country for the first quarter in 2003, authorities said.

The attorney general's office began its investigation more than two years ago after neighbors raised concerns about the high volume of patients to Dr. Alexanderian's home. An agent conducted an eight-hour and 20-minute video surveillance of the Susquehanna Avenue home on Jan. 23, 2004, that showed 114 people went to see Dr. Alexanderian. After his arrest, Dr. Alexanderian's license with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that permitted him to dispense and prescribe controlled substances was suspended.

It was not known if his DEA license was revoked. Court records reveal Dr. Alexanderian dispensed Darvocet to several persons addicted to heroin between January 1997 through March 2004, without being licensed to treat heroin addiction.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: alexandrian; healthcare; painmanagement; wodlist

1 posted on 05/25/2005 5:28:38 AM PDT by Born Conservative
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To: Born Conservative
I can assure you, from personal knowledge, there are pharmacists that make this guy sound like a piker.

I knew of one pharmacy in Houston that over 80% of their purchases were codeine. They claimed the reason was because they affiliated with a rehab clinic. That, of course, didn't explain the long lines of people waiting for codeine (literally out the door) and people hanging out outside the pharmacy for hours with other "patients".
2 posted on 05/25/2005 8:03:07 AM PDT by sharktrager (The masses will trade liberty for a more quiet life.)
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