Posted on 03/09/2019 10:40:47 AM PST by caww
Steven R. Henson, 57, was convicted last year on multiple counts, including falsifying patient records and fulfilling prescription requests outside the regular regimen of care. The death of his patient Nick McGovern in 2015 was a result of intoxication of alprazolam and the opiate methadone — two deadly and highly addictive prescription drugs.
“I want this case to send a message to physicians and the health care community,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister. “Unlawfully distributing opioids and other controlled substances is a federal crime that could end a medical career and send an offender to prison.”
"There was ample evidence that Henson was prescribing opioid medications in amounts likely to lead to addiction, and in amounts so expensive that the patients would likely be forced by economic circumstances to support their addiction by selling some of the drugs to others," the judge said in the sentencing hearing.
“We are dealing with an epidemic. Nationwide, more than 70,000 Americans died in 2017 from drug overdoses. That is more than all the American casualties during the war in Vietnam," he continued.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
The ways things are going, this will be used as another excuse by the government to make people in pain suffer even more.
” this will be used as another excuse by the government to make people in pain suffer even more”
That’s exactly right.
I was treated for an injury in the French medical system. Pain management was job #1 for them. When I came back to the U.S., the surgeons were mostly indifferent to my pain and said “just work through it”.
Maybe we should ask the government lawyers to sign an affadavit giving up any drug based pain management when they get injured or grow old. Wonder how long that would last before they come screaming (literally) back to reality.
PS: for the idiots who make snarky remarks about French docs, I can tell you that the orthopedic work done on me generated nothing but praise from the best U.S. docs about the work that was done on me.
Xanax and methadone. Yep. That’ll do it.
What message? That drug abusers will abuse prescriptions and doctors should go prison for it?
Or
Lay off the methadone...
Yep, wealthy and connected people will find a legal end around. Regular people will suffer.
Obviously it is the doctors fault that Big Pharma screws American patients.
He bears a strong physical resemblance to “Dr. Death” (Chris Duntch) in Dallas who was known for maiming and killing his spinal patients.
I wish kidney stones on everyone who opposes pain meds for people in pain
We don’t make snarky remarks about French docs; we make snarky remarks about French soldiers.
Going in for removal in another week or so.
The first one was screaming hell back in 1980!!!
This one not as big so pray it won’t be as bad.
I can empathize with anyone who experiences them.
Methadone sounds like an odd thing here off the top of my head, but a doctor I am not. What was the proffered rationale. Was it the best painkiller for that patient’s situation? Why not morphine?
Hah
Touche...
The last time I had anything of that ilk was over a decade ago. I didn’t have to break the bank to get hydrocodone and the like when the doctor prescribed it.
Imagine what would have happened to him if he had peeked at Jussie Smollett’s medical files.
...Xanax and methadone. Yep. That’ll do it.
Throw in some vodka and you’ve got a guaranteed hit
I wish kidney stones on everyone who opposes pain meds for people in pain
..............................................
Man, that’s harsh.
but I agree with it.
Lots of “off label” use of all the opioids. If you’re up past dilaudid for pain you shouldnt be walking around in public. There are new and different delivery systems for them all as well and surprisingly microdosing of once thought heavy duty methadone works for things not imagined before the tech to produce them.
Benzos (Ativan, Xanax, Valium) are standard issue for patient compliance if insurance covers it because what Dr wants to work on a frustrated, worked up, short tempered asshole thats been in pain for the last 10 years? Especially when he hasnt been taking his addictive opioids like we want him to and refuses every antidepressant we have offered him.
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