A Billings, Mont.-based anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to three years of federal probation for prescription drug fraud, according to a Billings Gazette report.
Cory L. Pickens, MD, pleaded guilty in Sept. 2010 to one count of prescription fraud, admitting he filled more than 70 prescriptions from Jan. 2007-Nov. 2009 for narcotic painkillers to support his opiate addiction.
Dr. Pickens was also fined $2,500, and a federal law will effectively prevent him from practicing for five years at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. The exclusion also extends to pharmacies.
The sentencing judge noted the letters of support from associates and colleagues who cite Dr. Pickens' work to recover from prescription drug abuse.
Read the Billings Gazette report on Dr. Cory L. Pickens.
Read more on anesthesiologist fraud:
-ASA President Dr. Mark Warner Discusses Evolution of Anesthesia Safety
-Balance Billing Anesthesia Patients Who Go Out of Network
-Study: Short Interactive Videos Could Increase Patient Knowledge of Anesthesia
Cory L. Pickens, MD, pleaded guilty in Sept. 2010 to one count of prescription fraud, admitting he filled more than 70 prescriptions from Jan. 2007-Nov. 2009 for narcotic painkillers to support his opiate addiction.
Dr. Pickens was also fined $2,500, and a federal law will effectively prevent him from practicing for five years at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. The exclusion also extends to pharmacies.
The sentencing judge noted the letters of support from associates and colleagues who cite Dr. Pickens' work to recover from prescription drug abuse.
Read the Billings Gazette report on Dr. Cory L. Pickens.
Read more on anesthesiologist fraud:
-ASA President Dr. Mark Warner Discusses Evolution of Anesthesia Safety
-Balance Billing Anesthesia Patients Who Go Out of Network
-Study: Short Interactive Videos Could Increase Patient Knowledge of Anesthesia