A Michigan physician has been convicted of illegally prescribing opioids, according to an April 29 news release from the Justice Department.
What happened?
- From November 2016 to July 2018, Charise Valentine, MD, issued more than 3,000 medically unnecessary prescriptions totaling over 200,000 opioid pills.
- Dr. Valentine served as one of two primary physicians at the sham Orthopedic Medical Building in Oak Park, Mich., where illegal prescriptions were routinely issued.
- Patients were recruited and brought to the clinic, which charged $200 to $500 per prescription — cash only — with prices based on the quantity, type and dosage of opioids.
- Dr. Valentine received about 50% of the clinic’s proceeds, totaling more than $500,000 in cash over 19 months. Her pay was tied solely to the number of opioid prescriptions she wrote, and she was handed thousands of dollars in cash daily.
Who else was involved?
- Other defendants — including clinic operator Iris Winchester, physician Michele Ritter, clinic employee Kristina Brown and Joyce Robinson — previously pleaded guilty.
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