Worcester physician will pay $115K to settle illegal opioid prescription allegations
Photo | Grant Welker
UMass Memorial Medical Center's Memorial Campus in Worcester
A physician who practiced at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester has agreed to pay $115,000 to settle allegations claiming he improperly prescribed opioids, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts said in a Friday press release.
Per the settlement, Dr. Edward Driscoll admitted to prescribing Schedule II controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice for nine patients. Driscoll allegedly prescribed opioids for chronic pain without conducting functional pain assessments or opioid risk assessments, according to the U.S. Attorney, and was also accused of rarely ordering urine drug screens and failing to hold consistent monthly office visits, despite prescribing opioids to patients on a monthly basis.
Driscoll surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration number during the investigation and, as part of the settlement, agreed he would not seek a new DEA registration number.
“We entrust physicians to appropriately care for their patients and comply with DEA prescribing regulations, especially in the midst of a destructive opioid epidemic,” Acting U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Mendell said in a statement. “These medications are controlled for a reason and failure to abide by the rules puts patients’ safety at risk.”
UMass Memorial Health said on Monday that Driscoll left the organization last year.
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