The Doctor Convicted of Murder

The successful conviction of a physician in a deliberate homicide case for their professional behavior is rare. Most cases of medical malpractice generally entail legal issues like negligence and recklessness resulting in civil claims and damages, nevertheless some cases do grow to the level of criminal accountability.

Dr. Lisa Tseng was recently convicted in California of three counts of second-degree murder for prescribing drugs which caused the overdose deaths of her patients.  Dr. Tseng had been notified by authorities of nine prior patients, primarily males in their 20s and 30s, that had died with drugs prescribed by her in their systems.

The prosecution asserted that Dr. Tseng knew that her patients were junkies and drug-seekers, and that she prescribed them drugs with the knowledge that it would cause their deaths. The defense countered that Tseng was not aware they were addicts and that they lied to her about their drug use. The defense contended that all prescribing was done in good faith.

The jury found Dr. Tseng guilty of overprescribing in 21 counts, and guilty of three counts of second-degree murder. Dr. Tseng will likely spend several years in California state prison.

Prescription drug misuse continues to rise nationwide resulting in the possibility for more doctors to be convicted in criminal cases for their drug prescribing practices.

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Operation Pilluted

Operation Pilluted is the biggest ever prescription drug crackdown conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On May 20, 2015, 280 individuals were arrested including 22 physicians and pharmacists. Those detained have been indicted in federal court and, if they are convicted, will serve sentences in federal penitentiary.

The goal was to stop the "pill mills" that unlawfully provide commonly abused narcotics for example Vicodin, OxyContin, and Valium. The arrests occurred in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi and came at the end of a 15 month long investigation into the illegal distribution of controlled substances.

Prescription drug abuse in the United States has reached epidemic levels.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared that since 1999, the number of prescription painkillers prescribed in the US has almost quadrupled and 44 people per day die from prescription drug overdoses.

Healthcare professionals are critical in controlling this epidemic because unlawful prescribing practices are among the main factors in the growth of prescription drug abuse.

Operation Pilluted clearly demonstrates that the law is being broken by some healthcare professionals as a way to profit from this growing epidemic. Pill mills can be a very lucrative business that some, unfortunately, cannot resist.

The healthcare industry, in addition to state medical licensing boards, must remain alert and assist in solving this health issue.

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