Guest guest Posted January 1, 2002 Report Share Posted January 1, 2002 Karyn, I know there is nothing that I can say to ease the mental pain and hurt that you are feeling. The Oxycontin thing has gotten out of hand as far as law enforcement is concerned. ( and it certianly does not help our group when the street folks are crushing and injecting it which inititaed this Oxycontin nightmare. All of the docs that precribe the drugs are being looked at as being too liberal and only the true pain docs that understand true pain are writing the scripts for them. I know that there have been a few physicians here in ohio who have been busted so to speak and others who have been harrassed to the point where they just don't want to write them. I work with a few physicians that told me they just don't want the hassle. Yes when they take your records for the investigation, they have them for a long time. It is a pain in the butt for the patient to have to deal with. My question to you is are you willing to travel to Ohio ? I know of a pain specialist who is very caring and maybe able to help you. Since you are so close next door in Indy, it is only about 1 hr and 45 minutes away form you. Was your pain clinic doc in Indy ? If there is any way that I can help you, let me know and we can hook up by phone. Between my nursing and physician connections and since you live so close, we may be able to come up with something for you in the event you are limited where you are. Hang in there, Lily Re: Serious Business > I have been torn as to sharing my current physician situation. The entire thing has been beyond my belief. Some of you may have heard. > > I received a call from a PAI member friend who goes to the same pain clinic as I do that said MY doctor had just been arrested during a sting operation with one of his patients for one of the largest narcotic Medicaid fraud and Oxycontin diversion schemes ever in Medicaid history. As you can imagine, I was in shock. I still can't bring myself to believe he had any part in it. I didn't share this earlier because I didn't want to spread gossip, but apparantly it is true. > > So, I really need someone who is in the same situation of needing serious pain medication to understand what it is like to feel like they have just been cut off a lifeboat and thrown to the ocean to drown or be eaten by sharks. It is really scary. > > I know that my primary internist will more than likely support and care for me until I can find another pain clinic.......like that is going to happen. It took me a year to find this one and that is after I had been to every other one in Indianapolis. " Oh my God, please don't abandon me. " I have prayed. > > The Federal Drug Administrationa and FBI have confiscated my medical record so it will not be available for copying and transfer to another physician. We should be prepared for investigation or interview. A letter was sent out stating that we should begin weaning ourselves off all narcotics and find another doctor.We are to save our prescription bottles as proof of our medication regimine. > > So....my stomach hurts, my skin is somewhat clammy, I'm naseaus.I'm numb. > > Somehow I feel like I have been betrayed. > > And, you know what...I really don't want to hear that " everything is going to be okay " . That isn't making me feel any better right now.I guess you never know when the rug is going to be pulled right out from under your feet. I just got back standing on my feet. > > I decided to post the article that was in the paper. It's public knowledge anyway. > > You can't imagine how important you all are to me. When no one else undestands...you do. Thanks. > > Karyn > KarynWms@... > Founder / Preseident > Pancreatitis Association International > > --------------------- From the Indianapolis Star ----------------------- > Accused doctor was speaker for drug firm > > Associated Press > > December 26, 2001 > > A physician accused of filling OxyContin prescriptions for a drug ring and billing Indiana's Medicaid program more than $100,000 for the narcotic also was a paid speaker for the drug's manufacturer. > > Federal prosecutors have charged Dr. Randolph W. Lievertz of Indianapolis with writing about $550,000 in OxyContin prescriptions this year for Medicaid > patients - six times more than any other doctor in the state. > > Authorities arrested Lievertz, 49, and Melinda D. Hawkins, 36, of North > Vernon > Dec. 20 on charges of unlawful distribution of OxyContin and health-care > fraud. > > OxyContin is a synthetic morphine generally prescribed for patients with > severe pain, but it has become widely abused in recent years. > > Merle Spiegel, a spokeswoman for Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma, said > today that Lievertz had been a paid speaker for the company six times in the > past two years. He last spoke for Purdue in June. > > " We had understood that he was highly credentialed, so we had used him " , she > said in a telephone interview. Lievertz also spoke occasionally at > pain-management seminars that were organized by other groups but paid for in > part by Purdue Pharma, Spiegel said > > Dr. Neil Irick, who shared office space with Lievertz in Indianapolis, said > Lievertz often instructed other doctors on the use of pain medication. > > " I think he was a speaker for them because of his expertise in how to spot > patients with addiction problems " , Irick said. > > Lievertz's office was closed today. His home phone number was apparently > connected to a fax machine. A fax seeking comment was sent by The Associated > Press. > > Lievertz is accused of prescribing OxyContin to Hawkins numerous times > between > Dec. 3, 1998, and this month. > > Hawkins had the prescriptions filled at pharmacies between Indianapolis and > Jennings County, about 50 miles south. She then supplied the drug to dealers, > U.S. Attorney said last week. > > Hawkins obtained the equivalent of nearly 30,000 80-milligram pills of > OxyContin, which is the largest dose available. Hawkins paid $8 a month for > the drug and the rest , about $130,205 , was paid through Medicaid, > said. > > If convicted, Lievertz could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison > and > a $250,000 fine. Authorities also arrested three other residents of North > Vernon in connection with the drug ring. > > Lievertz has prescribed more OxyContin to Medicaid recipients than any other > doctor in Indiana. In 2000, Lievertz prescribed more than $500,000 worth of > OxyContin, and from Jan. 1 to Sept. 26 alone, he prescribed $559,432 worth of > the drug. > > The next highest dollar amount of OxyContin prescriptions from a single > doctor > was $87,000, said. > > > > > > PANCREATITIS Association, Intl. > Online e-mail group > > To reply to this message hit " reply " or send an e-mail to: Pancreatitis (AT) Yahoo > > To subscribe to this e-mail group, simply send an e-mail to: Pancreatitis-subscribe (AT) Yahoo > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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