BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts doctor has agreed to pay $115,000 to resolve allegations that he improperly prescribed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice, federal prosecutors said.
Edward Driscoll, a physician who practiced at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, has agreed to the payment to resolve allegations that he violated provisions of the Controlled Substances Act, according to a statement last week from the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston.
Driscoll prescribed opioids for chronic pain without conducting functional pain assessments or opioid risk assessments, according to the agreement. He rarely ordered urine drug screens and did not have consistent monthly office visits, despite prescribing opioids to patients monthly, authorities said.
“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.”
Driscoll has also surrendered his Drug Enforcement Administration registration number and agreed to not seek a new DEA registration number, authorities said.
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