Pill Mill Operator Sentenced to 9 Years

[drusso]

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I think I see an obvious policy solution to deter this kind of behavior....


Portland opioid 'pill mill' operator sentenced to 9 years

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/bio/17251/Elizabeth+Hayes
By Elizabeth Hayes – Staff Reporter, Portland Business Journal
Jun 4, 2019, 2:49pm PDT Updated 2 hours ago

The manager of a “pill mill” clinic in Southeast Portland was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for opioid distribution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced.

Osasuyi Kenneth Idumwonyi of Houston opened the Fusion Wellness Clinic on Southeast 122nd Avenue in early 2015. He operated the clinic with codefendant and former nurse practitioner Julie Ann DeMille, according to the Department of Justice announcement.

Idumwonyi, who has a history of operating medical clinics that purport to offer legitimate pain management services, would employ doctors or NPs who knew how to prescribe controlled substances in a way that wouldn’t draw attention from law enforcement or regulators, according to the announcement.

DeMille lived in the Houston area when she met Idumwonyi, and they worked together at his clinics in Houston from early 2011 to mid-2014.

She moved to Portland in 2014 and worked at a county health clinic. She was attracted to Oregon by a law allowing NPs to write prescriptions without oversight by a doctor. In a typical day, she saw 20 patients who paid $200 each in cash, according to the announcement. Idumwonyi commuted to Portland weekly and oversaw the clinic.

He pleaded guilty in late February to conspiring to dispense oxycodone and hydrocodone, while DeMille was sentenced in March to four years in federal prison for illegally distributing opioids and other crimes.

 

[paindoc007]

From another article:

Idumwonyi also extorted pills from the clinic’s own patients, acquiring hundreds of the Oxycodone pills to feed his girlfriend’s opioid addiction, according to the government. His girlfriend needed hundreds of milligrams of the pill a day to stave off withdrawal symptoms.

 

[Merely]

20 patients a day does not seem u reasonable nor does getting 200 per visit..they haven’t really laid out too much that makes this illegal unless people don’t have pain and it’s very obvious

 

[Ducttape]

Pill Mill Clinic Manager Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Opioid Distribution

www.justice.gov

sorry, but nothing about this case is legit.

apparently she wrote prescriptions for roughly 400 patients over slightly less than 1 1/2 years. in 2015, there were 1940 prescriptions, 219,000 doses. 96.7% of her prescriptions were for opioids.

you might say that 20 patients a day and $200 per patient is not unreasonable, but the approximately 100% of patients who got an opioid prescription for on average 112 pills per visit is.

the required kickback of pills to the non-physician owner is worse.

and particularly worst, preying on the sick:

From January 2015 to his arrest in July 2016, Idumwonyi served as the gatekeeper, office manager and enforcer for the Fusion Wellness Clinic. He oversaw the recruitment of new patients, reviewed intake paperwork, collected payments, coordinated with patients and DeMille to ensure the patients received the drugs they were seeking and supervised the clinic’s two other employees. Idumwonyi’s patient-recruiting efforts included visiting a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and a homeless shelter in search of people susceptible to opiate addiction.

 

[NJPAIN]

Pill Mill Clinic Manager Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Opioid Distribution

www.justice.gov

sorry, but nothing about this case is legit.

apparently she wrote prescriptions for roughly 400 patients over slightly less than 1 1/2 years. in 2015, there were 1940 prescriptions, 219,000 doses. 96.7% of her prescriptions were for opioids.

you might say that 20 patients a day and $200 per patient is not unreasonable, but the approximately 100% of patients who got an opioid prescription for on average 112 pills per visit is.

the required kickback of pills to the non-physician owner is worse.

and particularly worst, preying on the sick:

Visiting homeless shelters - Marketing genius.

 

[myrandom2003]

Visiting homeless shelters - Marketing genius.

But the waiting room funk?? not worth it

 

[clubdeac]

Writing scripts for #90-120 pills per month however was the standard of care several years ago. I would argue that many prescribers wrote for those amounts quite often

 

[DoctwoB]

sounds like for all intents and purposes they were drug dealers who got what they deserve. What’s concerning, however, is where are the lines between what is acceptable albeit opiate heavy pain management vs. what is malpractice (civil liability) vs. what is criminal?

 

[paindoc007]

Writing scripts for #90-120 pills per month however was the standard of care several years ago. I would argue that many prescribers wrote for those amounts quite often

No. TID or 4x/day dosing is not illegal, and happens all the time in pain practices.

 

[lobelsteve]

Writing scripts for #90-120 pills per month however was the standard of care several years ago. I would argue that many prescribers wrote for those amounts quite often

And many still do. 90meq can get you 6 Norco, 6 Percocet, 5 Dilaudid, 6 MSIR. And still in the guidelines. The farce of it all. But it is routine to see qid dosing for a medication that lasts 3-4 hrs.

 

[Aether2000]

The numbers of pills prescribed over a period of years is how the DEA rates the notoriety of the overprescribing. They do not describe dosages or MEDs- only the number of pills to the public when they take down physicians prescribing pain medicines.

 

[NJPAIN]

The numbers of pills prescribed over a period of years is how the DEA rates the notoriety of the overprescribing. They do not describe dosages or MEDs- only the number of pills to the public when they take down physicians prescribing pain medicines.

You are quite correct. Good friend of mine from Med school, PCP, just got nailed. Read indictment last night. It repeatedly mentions that he prescribed 900,000 pills over a certain period of time. No mention of dose, etc.

 

[lobelsteve]

The numbers of pills prescribed over a period of years is how the DEA rates the notoriety of the overprescribing. They do not describe dosages or MEDs- only the number of pills to the public when they take down physicians prescribing pain medicines.

True, but that is just one of the metrics used. MEQ, multiple short acting, BZD, Soma, are other Rx issues. Documentation of necessity is a big factor. So is OD deaths due to Rx or illicits when doc is also Rx'ing.


20 patients a day, 20 days worked per month, each get 120 tramadol. 5,760,000 pills prescribed over 10 years

 

[lobelsteve]

You are quite correct. Good friend of mine from Med school, PCP, just got nailed. Read indictment last night. It repeatedly mentions that he prescribed 900,000 pills over a certain period of time. No mention of dose, etc.

PCP writing 900,000 pills should be multiple lifetimes of prescriptions. Good friend of yours was a drug dealer.

 

[NJPAIN]

PCP writing 900,000 pills should be multiple lifetimes of prescriptions. Good friend of yours was a drug dealer.

Unfortunately. Office hours in middle of night. Rowdy crowds. Patients coming to his home. Wish I knew how/why this happened. Shocked everyone in our graduating class from many years ago.

 

[SommeRiver]

Unfortunately. Office hours in middle of night. Rowdy crowds. Patients coming to his home. Wish I knew how/why this happened. Shocked everyone in our graduating class from many years ago.

Coming to his house!?!?

 

[ateria radicularis magna]

Unfortunately. Office hours in middle of night. Rowdy crowds. Patients coming to his home. Wish I knew how/why this happened. Shocked everyone in our graduating class from many years ago.

Say again?

 

[emd123]

This has nothing to do with perc 10/325 #120 for someone with real pathology and no signs of aberrancy, from a doc following the rules. It has everything to do with this:

“Idumwonyi also extorted pills from the clinic’s own patients, acquiring hundreds of the Oxycodone pills to feed his girlfriend’s opioid addiction, according to the government. His girlfriend needed hundreds of milligrams of the pill a day to stave off withdrawal symptoms.”

It’s sheer stupidity and implies no increased risk to real docs and real patients who follow the rules.

 

[emd123]

Unfortunately. Office hours in middle of night. Rowdy crowds. Patients coming to his home. Wish I knew how/why this happened. Shocked everyone in our graduating class from many years ago.

Again. Sheer greed, arrogance and inexcusable stupidity. Also implies no increased risk to anyone making any effort to do the night thing, follow the rules and help (not hurt) people.

 

[Ducttape]

also has to do with the fact that pretty much every single patient coming to that office was getting a prescription.

no clinic has 100% of patients with true medical necessity for opioids. not lobelsteves, or emd's, or clubdeacs, and not mine.

 

[lobelsteve]

also has to do with the fact that pretty much every single patient coming to that office was getting a prescription.

no clinic has 100% of patients with true medical necessity for opioids. not lobelsteves, or emd's, or clubdeacs, and not mine.

My patient's beg to differ (just kidding). 15% are adamant about fixing the problems and not masking it with any meds.