Georgia psychiatrist arrested for 'overprescribing medication' after 36 die

[Jabberwocky]

A Georgia psychiatrist has been arrested after he allegedly ran a pill mill and overprescribed medication that resulted in the death of 36 of his patients.

Dr. Narenda Nagareddy has been charged with the unlawful overprescribing of opiates and benzodiazepine without a legitimate purpose for his patients, authorities said.

Nagareddy was arrested on Thursday at his Jonesboro office, which was raided by nearly 40 agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as well as the Clayton County Police Department.

Investigators said it has been confirmed that at least 12 of Nagareddy's patients deaths' were the result of prescription drug intoxication, according to legal documents obtained by WSB-TV.

The document reads that a total of 36 of Nagareddy's patients died 'while being prescribed controlled substances' from the doctor.

It was the overdose death of a mother of two young boys that police said led them to Nagareddy.

Audrey Austin suffered a fatal overdose on of the two medications Nagareddy had prescribed her just the day before on February 20, 2014, according to her mother Ruth Carr.

Nagareddy's arrest warrant focuses on his prescriptions to Austin.

'She was an addict and he made it very easy for her,' Carr told WSB-TV.

Austin had only recently left rehab. Carr said Nagareddy's arrest is a long time coming.

'I knew that he was doing this with people other than my daughter,' she said. 'I knew that she wasn't the only one.'

It was the overdose death of Audrey Austin, a mother of two young boys, that police said led them to Nagareddy and his eventual arrest on Thursday at his Jonesboro, Georgia office

Carr said she filed a medical board complaint against the doctor in 2012.

Legal documents state that former and current patients of Nagareddy have admitted to 'obtaining controlled substance prescriptions...without having a legitimate medical need' from the doctor.

'People come to this person for help, and instead of getting help, they're met with deadly consequences,' Clayton County Police Chief Mike Register told WSB-TV.

'If the allegations are true, he is Dr. Death, no doubt about it.'

Allegations alleging that Nagareddy is a drug pusher date back as old as 2010, when one reviewer claims they were kept 'wasted on seven different drugs'.

'If you want drugs this is your guy,' the person wrote on RateMds.com. 'If you want help, keep looking or youll (sic) end up in rehab.'

Another alleged patient of Nagareddy's wrote on Vitals.com that she paid $75 for 'basically the 60 seconds it takes to fill out a prescription'.

'It's by no means a personal, "open up and tell me what's going on" type of relationship,' they wrote.

'It's a "hurry pay me" on his end, and a "hurry write the Rxs so I can leave" on my end!'

Other patients on these sites call Nagareddy a good doctor, one even crediting him for saving their life, and attorney Steven Frey said he is not responsible for anyone's death.

'I have had several calls from the medical community showing their full support,' he said. 'So I expect they will continue to do so and we will vigorously defend him.'

The State Board of Medical Examiners said Nagareddy has never been disciplined and has no criminal convictions, medical malpractice suits or medical settlements, according to Fox Carolina.

The term 'Pill mill' is used to define medical offices that dispense prescription medicine easily and for non-medical reasons without a physical exam, and often accepting only cash.

A sign currently hands on Nagareddy's office, advising those with prescription drug addiction to call the state's crisis line.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ted-allegedly-overprescribing-medication.html

 

[ro4eva]

Imagine if the DEA raided your local convenience store on account of the deaths of 36 people who succumbed to tobacco smoking-induced lung cancer, and arresting + charging the store clerk(s) in the process.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the doctor's alleged 60 second in-and-out appointments - that's just wrong of him to knowingly practice his profession in such a careless and reckless manner. I just believe that the former patients of his who passed away due to overdosing on Rx meds which he prescribed should bear at least some responsibility for their actions, as it's not like he solicited and forcefully spoonfed them a variety pack of controlled substances (obviously this shouldn't apply to those of them who tragically took their medication(s) exactly as directed by the doc in question and still succumbed).

It'll be interesting to note exactly what he'll be charged with; that's for sure.

Also somewhat interesting is the fact that this story has been published by a news agency an ocean and continent apart from the source.

 

[spacejunk]

People that work in bars or liquor stores serve addicts every day.
Likewise, casinos.

 

[cj]

Imagine if the DEA raided your local convenience store on account of the deaths of 36 people who succumbed to tobacco smoking-induced lung cancer, and arresting + charging the store clerk(s) in the process.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the doctor's alleged 60 second in-and-out appointments - that's just wrong of him to knowingly practice his profession in such a careless and reckless manner. I just believe that the former patients of his who passed away due to overdosing on Rx meds which he prescribed should bear at least some responsibility for their actions, as it's not like he solicited and forcefully spoonfed them a variety pack of controlled substances (obviously this shouldn't apply to those of them who tragically took their medication(s) exactly as directed by the doc in question and still succumbed).

It'll be interesting to note exactly what he'll be charged with; that's for sure.

Also somewhat interesting is the fact that this story has been published by a news agency an ocean and continent apart from the source.

Almost every doctors visit I have ever had lasted less than 60 seconds. Maybe that's an exaggeration but I am lucky to et 3 minutes and that is no bullshit

 

[Screaming_Skull]

IKR,lol. Longest I've been in with a doctor is 3 or 4 mins and thats AT MOST. I usually see my sub doc for one minute. The doctor I got adderall from cut me off(my bp was to high) but I would see him for like 30 seconds. A doctor that just pushes pills well, that was just like a minutle too. Most of the time is spent in the waiting room, and even when I"m actually sick a doctors visit doesn't last that long, like a min or two...and it's mostly me talking.

 

[fatstep]

maybe 5 mins max with the exceptions of first time visits and my adolescent psychiatrist i used to see

 

[ro4eva]

Almost every doctors visit I have ever had lasted less than 60 seconds. Maybe that's an exaggeration but I am lucky to et 3 minutes and that is no bullshit

I hear ya - my doc appts are way too short as well, IMO. I can never seem to fully communicate whatever I have planned, and it can be extremely frustrating if it's a serious/severe matter. Time is money, I know, but shitty health usually (inevitably) yields shitty money, and becoming sick can be very expensive. Not that the pharmaceutical companies seem to mind...

 

[belligerent drunk]

I guess I'm lucky to live where I live in this aspect, because most of my doctor visits last as long as I prefer them to, 10-15 minutes depending on the issue.

 

[ro4eva]

I guess I'm lucky to live where I live in this aspect, because most of my doctor visits last as long as I prefer them to, 10-15 minutes depending on the issue.

The other thing about the unreasonably short appointments I have which really ticks me off is the apparent fact that my doc is paid a yearly salary which is based on a tally of every appointment, but it is assumed that they last no less than 10 minutes IIRC. And while that may not seem like a big deal, he's able to exploit this loophole by fitting into his 9 - 5 schedule each week day double (to sometimes triple) the appointments. And, well, since he makes a living off of tax payer money, it can add up to half a million bucks annually (when he should be making $250,000).

Still though, I wouldn't mind if only he'd give me some time to speak more than a few sentences each time I see him.

Edit - It should be noted that there are a handful of specialists in the region who resort to a similar schedule out of necessity, because there is a severe shortage of MDs practicing their specific field of medicine in the surrounding area. Example: we only have one neurologist in town when there should be 3 or more. Conversely, we have no shortage of family physicians.