SoCal Doc conviction

[TheBlueBlazer]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/health/california-overdose-doctor-murder-sentencing/index.html

This sounds like an outlier case, and probably won't make it through appeals, but this still scares the bejeezus out of me. Lots of horrible precedents set here

 

[deleted109597]

The precedent of giving large sums of controlled substances for cash pay and not actually doing any medicine? Yeah, I'm ok with this.
As long as the slope isn't slippery.

 

[Dre8]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/health/california-overdose-doctor-murder-sentencing/index.html

This sounds like an outlier case, and probably won't make it through appeals, but this still scares the bejeezus out of me. Lots of horrible precedents set here

I don't like it. I'm not saying she has no responsibility (since she had been warned), but 30 years to life is at least 30 times too harsh. Her drug abusing patients are at fault (rip) -- 30 years is too much for an enabler.

 

[gman33]

i was looking for cases of drug dealers being convicted for OD deaths.
Here is the only one I found.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news...rial-in-connection-with-overdose-death/nnf4G/

30 years seems crazy.

I'm not sure what I think is appropriate.

 

[EM4life]

I do think this is a slippery slope, I think I mentioned in a previous post - why was this doc even allowed to practice medicine after all these so called warnings from the state? It's ridiculous. I agree with punishment - but murder sentence with 30 years or more in jail sounds like massive system fail to me. This is not the way to deal with the opioid epidemic in America.

 

[emergentmd]

I have no clue what exactly happened but I can tell you some egregious pain management scripts that I have come across. Try 180 percocet + 120 norco every month which is not unusual.

Now, if these Doctor "drug dealers" can prescribe without impunity, this Doc must have broken rules after rules after rules.

She was a money hungry drug dealer hiding behind her medical license.

 

[emergentmd]

I don't like it. I'm not saying she has no responsibility (since she had been warned), but 30 years to life is at least 30 times too harsh. Her drug abusing patients are at fault (rip) -- 30 years is too much for an enabler.

She is no different than a drug dealer selling large amounts of drugs. Sure the people are responsible. But she still is a high quantity drug dealer who kept doing it even after a few of them died for profit. If drug dealers can get decades in jail, she should too.

 

[gman33]

She is no different than a drug dealer selling large amounts of drugs. Sure the people are responsible. But she still is a high quantity drug dealer who kept doing it even after a few of them died for profit. If drug dealers can get decades in jail, she should too.

But drug dealers don't generally get sentenced for OD deaths.
Seems strange to start doing it for legal activity.

 

[deleted547339]

She was selling rx's out of Starbucks after she'd been contacted multiple times for her patients OD'ing....

 

[TheBlueBlazer]

Yeah, I would never make the argument she shouldn't go to jail or lose her license for the things she did. But to hold her responsible, and call her a murderer because some pillhead decided take a couple extra today is just going too far. Negligence and greed is not causing the death of a person with malice or intent.

 

[Dre8]

Yeah, I would never make the argument she shouldn't go to jail or lose her license for the things she did. But to hold her responsible, and call her a murderer because some pillhead decided take a couple extra today is just going too far. Negligence and greed is not causing the death of a person with malice or intent.

Exactly

 

[gman33]

She was selling rx's out of Starbucks after she'd been contacted multiple times for her patients OD'ing....

She was not working out of Starbucks.
That was someone else who was not charged with anything.

She was practicing terrible medicine.
It likely contributed to the death of these people. As far as I can tell based on what I've read, she did not commit any illegal acts.

I would have to see the actual rx and medical charts to comment further.

Revocation of a medical license or dea seems a more appropriate punishment.
Both of those things should have happened a long time ago.

The medical board and dea officials should also be charged with accessory to murder. Throw in the pharmacists, cvs, drug manufacturers, parents who gave the patients money for rx.

To put this all on one doc is bs.

 

[TheBlueBlazer]

agreed. and while we're at it, let's indict the Anheuser-Busch executives and local merchants for the irresponsible ways that people choose to use the products that they supply.

 

[DrJavaSunflower]

We docs are bullied by the system. It's a circus in some EDs I shadowed where docs did anything and everything to please their pts or else just to move 'em out of ed..

 

[Cerberus]

She was not working out of Starbucks.
That was someone else who was not charged with anything.

She was practicing terrible medicine.
It likely contributed to the death of these people. As far as I can tell based on what I've read, she did not commit any illegal acts.

I would have to see the actual rx and medical charts to comment further.

Revocation of a medical license or dea seems a more appropriate punishment.
Both of those things should have happened a long time ago.

The medical board and dea officials should also be charged with accessory to murder. Throw in the pharmacists, cvs, drug manufacturers, parents who gave the patients money for rx.

To put this all on one doc is bs.

This just reminds us that no matter what, it is the MDs fault.

ED is crowded, half the nurses called in sick because it is a holiday/superbowl/snowstorm, CT is being serviced, there was a natural disaster? Patient with low back pain and normal vital signs dies in the waiting room = your fault

Patient is angry and belligerent threatens to kill you and the staff because they haven't received dilaudid yet and they've been waiting 8minutes to be seen for their chronic toe pain, does the same thing every day for the last year? Have them removed from the ED and they have an MI two days later = your fault

Patient is non compliant with all meds, is frequently in your ED for the same chronic complaint but never follows up with the specialist they are referred to for that complaint. Eventually has bad outcome = your fault.