Incident 40085
Incident 40085
Suspect Logged Into Electronic Prescription Program as Ophthalmologist to Fraudulently Issue Opioid Scripts
For an eye surgery center, Cornerstone Eye Associates in Rochester, N.Y., sure did write a lot of opioid prescriptions. Between January 2018 and February 2019, the surgery center sent 73 scripts to local pharmacies for more than 5,000 Vicodin and Oxycontin.
But federal prosecutors say not a single one of those painkillers went to a patient. They were all obtained by fraud by an employee of the surgery center, Shannon Lambert, the LASIK refractive surgery coordinator who is accused of using an ophthalmologist’s ID to log into the center’s electronic prescription program to write and submit prescriptions directly to the pharmacy — either in her name or in the names of acquaintances, mostly relatives also named Lambert, who were not Cornerstone patients.
All prescriptions were issued without the knowledge or authorization of a physician and without a legitimate medical purpose, according to a complaint filed by U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York based on a DEA investigation.
Lambert pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rochester to obtaining controlled substances by fraud and identity theft.
Where the Diversion Occurred:
Cornerstone Eye Associates
Rochester, NY, USA
Type of Healthcare Facility:
Hospital
Person Diverting:
Shannon Lambert
Profession of the person diverting:
All Other
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, , and/or federal DEA or FDA authorities?
Publicly available news reports about the incident: