Doctor Found Guilty of Prescribing 1.2M Doses of Opioids Without Cause
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal jury convicted a Texarkana doctor on Friday, Oct. 29.
Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker was convicted on two counts of distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance without an effective prescription and two counts of distribution of a Schedule V Controlled Substance without an effective prescription.
The investigation began after complaints from law enforcement about a pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Parker and found that he was an over-prescriber of controlled substances.
In a two-year period, Parker prescribed about 1.2 million dosage units of opioid pain medications to approximately 1,508 patients. He also prescribed 16 gallons of Promethazine with codeine cough syrup to around 29 patients during the same time frame. The prescriptions included narcotics written in combination with sedatives, creating a high risk of addiction and overdose to patients.
Parker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Original article by KSLA.
Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker was convicted on two counts of distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Substance without an effective prescription and two counts of distribution of a Schedule V Controlled Substance without an effective prescription.
The investigation began after complaints from law enforcement about a pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Parker and found that he was an over-prescriber of controlled substances.
In a two-year period, Parker prescribed about 1.2 million dosage units of opioid pain medications to approximately 1,508 patients. He also prescribed 16 gallons of Promethazine with codeine cough syrup to around 29 patients during the same time frame. The prescriptions included narcotics written in combination with sedatives, creating a high risk of addiction and overdose to patients.
Parker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Original article by KSLA.
