Five physicians of a Washington, Pa.-based opioid addiction treatment practice were indicted on charges of unlawful dispensing of anti-opioid overuse medication and healthcare fraud.
Indictments alleged the five Redirections Treatment Advocates physicians, who were working as contractors at the practice's various locations across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, created and distributed illegal prescriptions for buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is used to treat individuals with opioid addiction.
The defendants were also charged with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute buprenorphine. They face healthcare fraud charges for allegedly causing fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicaid and Medicare to pay for the prescriptions.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of unlawfully dispensing; a 10-year maximum imprisonment and a $1 million fine for each count of conspiring to unlawfully dispense; and a maximum 10-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine for each count charging healthcare fraud.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
12 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements
4 found guilty in insider trading case linked to CMS
Physician charged in accidental shooting death of orthopedic sales representative