Some American universities are being compromised by medical school professors illegally selling pain-killers. It’s a growth industry – universities can expect more cases of faculty or affiliated faculty involved in pill mills.
Some faculty members have formal affiliations with the mills; others, like Leonard Hudson, commit prescription fraud for personal reasons.
Hudson, who for years at the University of Washington taught a course called The Human Face of Medicine, looked online for prostitutes and found one he liked. In exchange for sex, he prescribed immense amounts of opiates for her (she’s an addict).
Pill mills are a very big national story (though Florida is The Pill Mill State). University Diaries will only cover pill mills when they involve universities.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:02PM
Hudson’s a piker compared to this recent case in PA (http://www.wpxi.com/news/23090859/detail.html). Though it lacks a university connection, to my understanding, it makes up for it in sheer volume. The money quote:
” A New Castle doctor has been charged with overprescribing painkillers to patients, 11 of whom are also charged with reselling the drugs on the street.
A preliminary hearing for Dr. Edward Van Scott, 59, was rescheduled Wednesday for May 20.
State prosecutors said Scott prescribed 2.19 million doses of painkillers in one year, 60 percent more than any other doctor in the state. The drugs have a street value of $50 million.”
Yes, 2.19 million painkiller prescriptions in one year. My hand aches just thinking about it. Discuss while I get an NSAID.
May 26th, 2010 at 3:17PM
Definitely up there in Michael Jackson territory, GTWMA.