LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The sign reading "Bluegrass Pain Consultants" still hangs outside the building but the doors are locked, the business shut down, and its owner, Dr. Christopher Nelson, facing federal charges as part of a multi-state crackdown of 60 people working in the healthcare field, including 31 doctors.
"The opioid crisis here in Ohio and throughout this region is the public health and safety crisis of our lifetime," U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Ben Glassman said.
"These cases involve approximately 350,000 opioid prescriptions and more than 32 million pills, the equivalent of a dose of opioids for every man, woman and child across the states of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and West Virginia combined," Brian Benczkowski with the U.S. Department said.
The federal indictment reports that Nelson, who owned and operated Bluegrass Pain Consultants, had worked with Assured Rx LLC out of Florida, referring the majority, if not all of his patients, many whom were on Medicare and Tricare, to Assured Rx for prescription drugs with the prices often inflated. In return, Assured Rx and its head, Nitesh Patel, would pay Nelson a higher than average sales commission.
Federal investigators said Nelson also paid bonuses to his nurse practitioners and physician assistants based on the number of drugs they prescribed to patients that were filled by Assured Rx.
According to the indictment, between January 2016 and May 2018, Medicare paid Assured Rx approximately $2,478,808.20 and Tricare paid approximately $842.08. From February 2016 to May 2015, Patel and Assured Rx paid Nelson $906,870.74 in kickbacks.
"With today's actions and takedown, the work of the strike force is not done," U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Kentucky Robert Duncan said. "Strike force members will continue to work in partnership investigating and prosecuting opioid-related crime committed by medical professionals in these districts and elsewhere."
In June 2018, FBI and DEA agents with assistance from local law enforcement were seen raiding the Bluegrass Pain Consultants offices in Louisville and LaGrange, leaving with boxes of evidence. At the time, law enforcement would not comment on the investigation.
In a statement Wednesday, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Russell Coleman wrote, "What we're charging today, what we will continue to investigate and charge, are examples of criminal conduct that places patients at risk. We don't charge the gray."