WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 20, 2007
Kansas "Pill Mill" Linked To 4 Deaths
Physician Charged With Illegally Prescribing Drugs That Allegedly Led To 4 Fatal Overdoses
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(CBS/AP)
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Play CBS Video Video Investigating 'Pill Mills' CBS News RAW: Chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian confronts Dr. Manuel Hernandez about the practice of prescribing painkillers without physically examining a patient.
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Video Prescription Drug Abuse Boom Prescription drug abuse is skyrocketing, partly due to the growing number of "pill mills" where doctors write prescriptions for non-medical reasons. Armen Keteyian goes inside a Houston facility.
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A Topeka grand jury returned a 34-count indictment against Dr. Stephen J. Schneider and his wife, nurse Linda K. Schneider, who were arrested Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren said. They are to appear in federal court in Wichita on counts including conspiracy, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, health care fraud, illegal monetary transactions and money laundering.
According to the indictment, 56 of the doctor's patients have died from accidental prescription drug overdoses in the past five years. However, the indictment said only four of the deaths were found to be directly caused by drugs prescribed by Schneider's clinic in Haysville, south of Wichita.
The Schneiders are not charged with killing any patients.
A person who answered the phone at the Schneider Medical Clinic on Thursday said there was no one available to comment. Stephen Schneider's lawyer, David Schippers, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The indictment alleges that the 54-year-old doctor and his assistants wrote unlawful prescriptions for narcotic painkillers, muscle relaxers and other drugs. Drugs mentioned in the indictment included fentanyl, methadone, morphine and oxycodone. It also alleges the clinic submitted fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs.
According to the indictment, Linda Schneider, 49, bragged when interviewing prospective employees that the clinic, with its large number of pain-management patients, wrote more narcotics prescriptions than any other medical clinic in the state.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- taylpatr-Unfotunately for you, I see that you hate bush so much. you''ll want to commit suicide when you find out that this war was startrd by none other than a Dim-oc-rat by the name of Charly wilson. When you connect the dots, they all lead back to him, and to top it off, it''s all documented not only by the movie (you know, the "Hollywood hate America Elite) but also by a Purdue University Prof.
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- taylpatr,
You are undoubtedly the most ignorant person that I have ever had the opportunity to read a post from. You are what we refer to as internet garbage. You prove it every time you post. - Reply to this comment
- You better place blame where it belongs,,,,,ON THE DOCTORS!
They are as bad as lawyers!
Posted by slim1h2o at 08:29 AM : Dec 21, 2007 - Reply to this comment
- crzmeat at 05:42 AM : Dec 21
It''s not the lieing patients,,,,,it''s the lieing doctors that want to over prescribe meds., and not monitor the patients. And then not fixing the overlying problem, just give''m a pill. Thats the new mantra, a pill fixes everything.
You better place where it belongs,,,,,ON THE DOCTORS!
They are as bad as lawyers! - Reply to this comment
- Doctering is busness you need the pt. coming back so you can bill them put them on a mild drug and have them come back for a checkup and another bill. You have a pt. that complains of anxiety or pain they have to do something most prescribe something it''s not the Dr''s it''s lieing patients.
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- ***...can''t you people get a life? --- mainly meaning you talypatr. (Yes, I get it...most posters on CBS are Bush haters.)
Back to the topic...prescription drug abuse is at an all time high. Doctors are stuck between a rock and a hard place because if a patient claims to have pain...the doctor has to treat it. Do to HIPPA laws, if a doctor suspects a patient is selling the pain meds on the street, I believe it is unlawful for the doctor to notify police. Of course, there are doctors who don''t give a damnnn and just keep prescribing. - Reply to this comment
- Where did all the information come from????
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- I think taylpatr set a new record for Bush blaming. What was that- about 45 minutes?
- Reply to this comment
- They killed four people so we better bust them and put them away for life.While you''re at it, there''s thie sawed-off little fu*ker in D.C.who, along with his no-heart crony have killed over 250,000 people since 2003.We should do SOMETHING with them too, don''t you think?
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