Physician Who Overprescribed Opioids Found Guilty
Physician Who Overprescribed Opioids Found Guilty
Physician found guilty of prescribing controlled substances without legitimate medical purpose after complaints about a pill mill and patient overdose.
A federal jury convicted a Texarkana Doctor 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.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Little Rock District Office (LRDO), Tactical Diversion and Diversion Groups initiated an investigation into Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, age 58, of Texarkana, Arkansas in 2018 after receiving complaints from local law enforcement about a suspected pill mill and possible overdose death of a patient. Investigators analyzed prescription drug monitoring data attributed to Dr. Parker, and the investigation revealed Dr. Parker was an over-prescriber of controlled substances, to include opioids, benzodiazepines, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup in the Texarkana area. In the two-year period analyzed, Dr. Parker prescribed approximately 1.2 million dosage units of opioid pain medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl, to approximately 1,508 patients (approximately 847 dosage units per patient). Dr. Parker also prescribed approximately 16 gallons of Promethazine with Codeine cough syrup to approximately 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 is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Approximate date(s) of the diversion:
01/01/2018
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Parker Joseph MD
820 S Main St, Hope, AR 71801, USA
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Hospital
Person Diverting:
Lonnie Joseph Parker
Profession of the person diverting:
Physician or Medical Doctor (MD)
Patients were injured. Were they infected, filed lawsuits, or died as a result of this diversion incident?
Death
Has the incident been reported?
e.g. to local law enforcement, county board of health, state licensure board, and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Yes
To whom has the incident been reported?
Local Law Enforcement
