Joel Smithers established a medical practice in Martinsville from which he developed an illegal prescription drug trade that has him facing perhaps the rest of his life in federal prison. Smithers, 36, who lives in Greensboro, was found guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon of 861 federal drugs charges, including that his prescriptions [...]
A Sandy Springs resident has been convicted of prescribing opioid painkillers and other drugs under the guise of podiatric care. Dr. Arnita Avery-Kelly, 56, a licensed podiatrist, has been found guilty on federal charges of illegally prescribing the drugs at clinics in Sandy Springs and Lithonia. In a May 9 news release, federal officials discussed [...]
Pawankumar Jain, 66, a former physician, was sentenced today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully dispensing controlled substances and health care fraud. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson of the [...]
Dr. Stephen Loyd knew what it was like to live a double life. As a doctor from east Tennessee, he focused on how to improve the health of others, but behind closed doors, he was secretly needing help himself. Loyd first began abusing opioids in 2000 to ease his stress, anxiety and depression while working [...]
In the recent case of Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Sunnyside Home) v Ontario Nurses’ Association, an arbitrator reinstated a nurse battling with drug addiction after her employment had been terminated for theft of narcotics and for falsifying medical records. This decision emphasises an employer’s duty to inquire and meaningfully consider accommodation options when faced with [...]
A former registered nurse at UPMC Jameson Hospital is accused of dispensing higher amounts of narcotics for patients, but using the excess for himself. The state Office of the Attorney General has charged Chase Falba, 27, of Washington, Pa., in connection with the alleged incidents that reportedly occurred between April 6 and 11 last year. [...]
Two doctors and a nurse from Plano were sentenced to federal prison for the illegal distribution of opioids and other pharmaceutical controlled substances. Howard Gregg Diamond, 58, of Sherman, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and 10 years in prison for health care [...]
Arizona law requires doctors to check a state database before they write a new prescription for a controlled substance, such as opioids. Yet fewer than 40% do. Sheila Sjolander, an assistant director at the Arizona Department of Health Services, said department officials know that’s a problem they’re “all struggling” to address in the state’s fight against opioid [...]
A former Dracut nurse pleaded guilty to stealing morphine intended for elderly hospice patients, including taking the pain-killing drug from a pair of patients at a Lowell nursing home in 2016, authorities say. Michael Langlois, 49, then a registered nurse, took liquid morphine for his own personal use from two patients in his care and [...]
A former Enid Public School employee has been arrested after she was accused of stealing medicine from children at Garfield Elementary School. T. Mongold left the district April 4, according to Enid Public Schools officials. Police said that days later and on several occasions Mongold used her employee key card, which was still valid, to [...]