A Miami doctor kept ‘inappropriately’ prescribing pain and anxiety pills, state says
A South Florida doctor has been fined $20,000 for what the Florida Department of Health describes as freewheeling prescribing of pain pills and anxiety medications.
The final order from the state of Florida Board of Medicine says Dr. Peter Sanchez also must reimburse the state health department $12,806 in investigative costs. To understand the pace of medical discipline, note that Sanchez’s alleged violations occurred almost a decade ago, 2011 through 2013 and the final order was issued June 17.
The settlement agreement allows Sanchez to officially neither confirm nor deny the Department of Health’s administrative complaint, which alleges Sanchez “inappropriately prescribed or prescribed inappropriate and/or excessive quantities” of drugs such as Xanax, Valium, oxycodone, Methadone and Dialaudid to five patients of All Care Family Health in Boca Raton and Lake Worth.
At the time, the administrative complaint says, Sanchez’s Department of Health address of record was in Miami Beach’s Meridian Center. The current address of record on his online Department of Health profile, which says he’s been licensed since 1989, is 1150 NE 125th St., the Douglas Gardens Community Mental Health Center in North Miami.
Telephone numbers for the All Care clinics have been disconnected.
Prescribing prodigious amounts of pills?
The complaint says All Care was a “pain management clinic” and describes Sanchez as a pill mill doctor for five patients:
▪ For Patient T.B., who complained of chronic back pain in 2012, Sanchez prescribed Roxicodone (brand name oxycodone) and anxiety drug Clonazepam. He made a diagnosis of radiculopathy, a nerve disease that can remove sensation and strength.
Sanchez didn’t “create, keep or maintain adequate” exam records for T.B., none that justified the radiculopathy diagnosis or consult with her previous healthcare providers.
▪ Sanchez saw Patient C.D., who complained of chronic lower and middle back pain, from August 2011 though June 2012 and prescribed oxycodone and Xanax. On several visits, he made a diagnosis of lumbar pain with myelopathy, a spinal cord injury.
The complaint said Sanchez didn’t have documentation of medical history, physical exams, exam findings that justified the myelopahy diagnosis nor did he consult with appropriate specialists about C.D.
▪ Patient I.K., who saw Sanchez from August 2011 through April 2013, complained of chronic back pain. Sanchez made a diagnosis of radiculopathy and myelopathy on several visits. The complaint said I.K.’s records “reflect that he had a history of intravenous drug abuse and depression.”
Still, the complaint said, Sanchez “inappropriately prescribed or prescribed inappropriate and/or excessive quantities of” Valium, oxycodone and Dilaudid, the brand name for pain medicine hydromorphone.
There was no documentation, the complaint said, justifying the radiculopathy and myelopathy diagnoses. No records showed Sanchez referring I.K. to counseling for his drug use or depression or considering using “alternative, less-addictive medications to treat I.K.’s pain.”
▪ Patient J.K. complained of neck and back pain when he saw Sanchez from August 2011 through March 2012. Sanchez diagnosed myelopahy and, on J.K.’s last visit, post-traumatic stress disorder. Sanchez prescribed oxycodone and Xanax with the same documentation and consultation deficiencies as with the above patients.
▪ Patient J.M. came to Sanchez with chronic back pain from March 2012 through April 2013. Sanchez made a diagnosis of myelopathy and radiculopathy. Clonazepam, Roxicodone and Methadone were prescribed with what the complaint describes as inadequate documentation of examination or specialist consultation.
In addition to dunning Sanchez a total of $32,806, the Board of Medicine issued a reprimand on Sanchez’s license. He must also take courses in laws and rules, medical records, prescribing drugs as well as complete a five-hour continuing medical education in risk management or sit through a full day of Board of Medicine disciplinary hearings.
