Dr. in OxyContin Case Pleads Guilty

[antiquity]

Dr. in OxyContin Case Pleads Guilty

.c The Associated Press


DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A doctor charged with selling OxyContin prescriptions to drug dealers pleaded guilty and has promised to testify against two colleagues, prosecutors said.

Dr. David Harmon entered the plea Tuesday after Judge David W. Heckler refused his request to be tried separately from Drs. Joseph G. Paolino and Wesley Collier.

Prosecutors said in five months, Paolino wrote more than 1,200 drug orders on prescription pads signed by Collier and Harmon.

A jury began hearing evidence in the case Monday but was sent home on the trial's second day because of a scheduling conflict for a witness. The trial is scheduled to resume April 3.

Harmon, who initially faced a number of charges including insurance fraud, pleaded guilty to lesser offenses of practicing medicine without a license, conspiracy and delivering a controlled substance outside the scope of the doctor-patient relationship.

The reduced charges carry a maximum sentence of 11 to 23 months.

As part of the deal, Harmon agreed not to practice medicine requiring the prescribing of medications for 10 years, prosecutors said.

OxyContin is a powerful pain medication that is often crushed and used to get high.

AP-NY-02-27-02 1029EST

[MEM]

This physician, if such a term may be applied, is scary for those of us for whom Oxycontin works as part of a pain management program.

With the so-called black market hungry for Oxy at $5 per pill and up, there has been talk of legislation which would remove this drug from honest and caring physicians and their patients in need of the medication.

The other option for me? Morphine. I'm not ready to go there and wish to delay this as long as possible.

As with any medication, particularly those in the painkilling categories of opiates and synthetic opiates, there is always the possibility of abuse. However, with careful screening of patients by physicians, and strict and swift penalties for anyone abusing any prescribed medication, whether as the prescriber or patient, this should hopefully stem a tide of panic among legislators with the power to halt the use of this medicication in the US.

My doctor becomes frustrated with me because I take less than the prescribed dosage. Is my pain better managed when I take the amount prescribed? Yes, of course. However, I am trying to stay away from the probability of morphine for as long as possible,

MaryEllen