Seven physicians were among 12 medical professionals charged today by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) with opioid distribution offenses.
In coordination with federal and state law enforcement, the DOJ charged the defendants for their involvement in the illegal distribution of opioids. At the time that they were charged with the alleged offenses, twelve of the defendants were medical professionals.
The twelve persons in eight federal districts across the country distributed more than 115 million controlled substances, including buprenorphine, clonazepam, dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, hydrocodone, morphine sulfate, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and Suboxone, per the DOJ.
"Doctors and health care professionals are entrusted with prescribing medicine responsibly and in the best interests of their patients. Today's takedown targets medical providers across the country whose greed drove them to abandon this responsibility in favor of criminal profits," said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Medical Professionals, Others Across Six States Charged
One former nurse, one business manager, and one individual who practiced medicine without a medical credential are among those listed in the indictment. These include the following:
Eskender Getachew, MD, a Columbus, Ohio, sleep medicine specialist, was charged with unlawful distribution of controlled substances outside the use of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical practice.
Charles Kistler, DO, an Upper Arlington, Ohio, family practice physician, was charged with unlawful distribution of controlled substances for unlawful prescribing at Midtown Family Practice Clinic in Columbus, Ohio.
