A patient died of an overdose from improperly prescribed controlled substances.
The Department of Justice announced that Ohio physician Gregory Gerber settled allegations of illegal opioid distribution, agreeing to a $4.7 million fine and a permanent ban from prescribing controlled substances.
The United States filed a civil complaint against him in 2018, alleging that one of his patients had died from an opioid overdose due to unlawful prescriptions. The complaint also alleged that Dr. Gerber received a kickback from a drug manufacturer to prescribe the powerful opioid Subsys, which violated the False Claims Act.
“Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully prescribing opioids.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Boynton as he heads the DOJ’s Civil Division.
- For U.S. doctors and physicians to be discerning and ethical in their practices and prescribing.
Sources: Department of Justice
