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09/30/03
 On
September 22, a Florida doctor pled guilty to watering down,
and in some cases withholding completely, a drug he'd told
dozens of his prostate cancer patients would prolong their
lives. Meanwhile, he billed them and their insurance companies
for a full dose of the expensive drug, called Lupron. Fortunately,
the doctor's scheme to enrich himself by reselling the unused
doses -- to the tune of $1.5 million -- was uncovered and
stopped by the FBI before he could cause substantial harm
to his patients. Lupron does not cure prostate cancer, but
is believed to slow its growth by lowering levels of the hormone
testosterone.
What
tipped investigators off? The urologist's employees became
suspicious when one found an unopened box of Lupron hidden
under the doctor's desk after a patient had supposedly received
his injection. Blood tests conducted on patients after they
had visited the doctor for treatment showed that as many as
32 of them had not received the proper dosage.
In pleading
guilty to 59 of the 60 counts of healthcare fraud and illegal
distribution of prescription drugs, the doctor agreed to surrender
his medical license and pay restitution to those he defrauded.
When he is sentenced in December, he faces up to four years
and three months in prison.
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