Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Doctor charged after treating a DEA agent

L. Joseph Parker, MD
Physician
March 14, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share

As I wait for the next patient to be brought in, I start reviewing their chart. Past medical records have been received and scanned in per protocol, I see. This won’t be the first time I’ve seen his chart as he had to submit medical records and be approved before he could get an appointment to see me.

A forty-something African American male has been complaining of chronic back pain for several years off and on. It has been hurting now for several months this time, an old sports injury. He can’t be as active as he once was. There are no current prescriptions, but he has been treated with oxycodone for this in the past, as confirmed by past medical records. Currently, he is taking NSAIDs over the counter without relief. He has no allergies, holds a GED, and is self-employed. He travels a lot and lives with his girlfriend. His mother died in her fifties from heart problems, and his father died at fifty from a stroke. He has medical records from a physician a few hours north of us. Here’s an MRI taken several years ago showing degenerative disc disease and a central herniation at L3-4 without canal stenosis or epidural defect. He had been on Roxicodone 30 mg QID and oxycodone 10 mg TID PRN last time. That doctor is no longer in practice, and we can’t get any more information there.

I look a little closer at the last appointment chart. It’s a little sparse. It might be a former surgeon or ER doctor; they learn to be succinct or just old school, only putting what’s relevant to the issue at hand. It’s not the best, but I’ve seen worse.

The point of this entire meeting is that I need to give him some news he may not like. Having reviewed his chart, I’m not convinced that he needs anything nearly that strong for this problem. It’s intermittent, and he’s on nothing now, so this is the time to try to make a change.

If he’s used to 210 MDE a day, I’m not sure how he will respond to 50 mg of tramadol four times a day. Using the old conversion factor, that would be about 20 MDE. However, since the CDC just recommended doubling the calculation factor, it’s now 40 MDE, which is ridiculous. There is no way that 50mg of tramadol equals 10mg of hydrocodone for most people, but what can you do?

The paradigm has shifted, and it is now politically correct to “power taper” people off of medications they have been on for decades. Power taper means cutting the dosage drastically, risking withdrawal complications, and putting the patient at risk of overdose and death from self-medication and the street. It may be a shock for some doctors to hear, but people don’t tolerate agony well. Who knew? Well, except for all doctors going back to before the Civil War. Those doctors knew that pain could kill you. They had a few tens of seconds to get someone’s leg cut off without anesthesia, or the patient’s heart would stop. None of those doctors were stupid enough to say, “Pain never kills anyone.” They saw it happen.

But today, the physician is only in danger if someone dies while ON a medication he prescribed. It doesn’t matter what they died of. No one gets prosecuted when their patient blows their head off or overdoses on the street. That’s just used to justify having cut them off.

So the patient comes in, and I discuss his past history, do a physical exam adequate to the visit purpose, and give him the bad news. I don’t feel that the records I have justify the medications used by the other doctor. Perhaps he saw something I don’t, but we will need an outside expert opinion recommending that treatment. I also wrote for a new MRI as it had been a while. Surprisingly, he took it well. I didn’t think much of it until later.

When I found out he was an undercover DEA agent and that his medical records were fake. That previous doctor had gone to prison. But then it was my turn. Charged with prescribing “without a legitimate medical purpose,” despite the fact that we only treated patients who were already on opiates and who had been seen and treated by specialists. But at trial, none of that mattered, and neither did my treatment of the undercover agent. The jury was told that I shouldn’t have charged the agent for a visit at all. Clear proof of my greed. Ignoring the fact that if you only charge when someone gets medication, that can be used as evidence that you’re selling the prescription and not getting compensated for your time. You can’t win. But in today’s environment, you’re not supposed to. They are. And they do. Almost every time.

L. Joseph Parker is a distinguished professional with a diverse and accomplished career spanning the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He currently serves as the chief science officer and operations officer, Advanced Research Concepts LLC, a pioneering company dedicated to propelling humanity into the realms of space exploration. At Advanced Research Concepts LLC, Dr. Parker leads a team of experts committed to developing innovative solutions for the complex challenges of space travel, including space transportation, energy storage, radiation shielding, artificial gravity, and space-related medical issues. 

He can be reached on LinkedIn and YouTube.

Prev

Blockchain technology in population health management

March 14, 2024 Kevin 0
…
Next

Reducing political influence in health care: Building trust, transparency, and equity

March 14, 2024 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Pain Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Blockchain technology in population health management
Next Post >
Reducing political influence in health care: Building trust, transparency, and equity

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by L. Joseph Parker, MD

  • The shocking truth behind the DEA’s role in America’s pain crisis and doctor prosecutions

    L. Joseph Parker, MD
  • How the DEA’s use of predictive algorithms is worsening crises in urban communities and raising suicide rates among African Americans

    L. Joseph Parker, MD & Neil Anand, MD
  • Why good doctors are being jailed—and what it means for you

    L. Joseph Parker, MD

Related Posts

  • CBD: What is it? A former DEA agent explains.

    Dennis Wichern
  • AI enforcement in health care: Unpacking the DEA’s approach to the opioid epidemic

    L. Joseph Parker, MD
  • Telemedicine in the opioid crisis: a game-changer threatened by DEA regulations

    Julie Craig, MD
  • What the DEA does not understand or does not care about medication cessation decisions

    L. Joseph Parker, MD
  • Think twice before prescribing opioids as a first-line treatment for pain

    Gary Call, MD
  • Merging the wisdom of pain medicine and addiction medicine to optimize outcomes

    Julie Craig, MD

More in Physician

  • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

    Kara Pepper, MD
  • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

    Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD
  • How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine

    Amy Avakian, MD
  • In a fractured world, Brian Wilson’s message still heals

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How locum tenens work helps physicians and APPs reclaim control

      Brian Sutter | Policy
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

      Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD | Tech
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

      Kara Pepper, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 9 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why flashy AI tools won’t fix health care without real infrastructure

      David Carmouche, MD | Tech
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • How dismantling DEI endangers the future of medical care

      Shashank Madhu and Christian Tallo | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How scales of justice saved a doctor-patient relationship

      Neil Baum, MD | Physician
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Why shared decision-making in medicine often fails

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • How locum tenens work helps physicians and APPs reclaim control

      Brian Sutter | Policy
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How Mark Twain would dismantle today’s flawed medical AI

      Neil Baum, MD and Mark Ibsen, MD | Tech
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

      Kara Pepper, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Doctor charged after treating a DEA agent
9 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...