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A Maplewood dentist agreed to pay $75,000 in civil penalties after authorities say he prescribed opioid medication to patients who didn’t have a medical need.
Jerry Kent Brunsoman and his clinic, Institute of Facial Surgery St. Paul, PLLC, reached the settlement in federal court Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the civil complaint filed against him last year, Brunsoman wrote multiple prescriptions for controlled substances to patients without establishing they had a legitimate need for it.
Most of the prescriptions were for oxycodone and hydrocodone.
In addition, Brunsoman didn’t keep accurate records of when controlled substances were prescribed, leaving hundreds of doses unaccounted for and vulnerable to illegal use, the complaint said.
Congress has passed laws regulating prescribing and record-keeping for controlled substances to ensure they are not diverted for illegal reasons.
“Prescription drug abuse is a very real threat to the health and safety of our community. Doctors and medical professionals have a unique responsibility in preventing these dangerous drugs from falling into the wrong hands,” U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald said in a written statement Friday. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our partners at the DEA are committed to pursuing those who divert prescription opioids in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.”
The Minnesota Board of Dentistry conducted its own independent investigation into Brunsoman’s conduct and ordered him to surrender his license and DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances, the office reported.
He is no longer working as a dentist in Minnesota.