Federal prosecutors charged Evangelos Megariotis, MD, the owner and operator of Clifton (N.J.) Orthopedic Associates, with prescribing large quantities of controlled substances "outside the usual course of medical practice and without a legitimate purpose," the Justice Department announced.
Dr. Megariotis was among 54 individuals, including 15 physicians, who were charged for submitting nearly $800 million in fraudulent claims. He was also one of 24 defendants charged with diverting opioids.
The 66-year-old orthopedic surgeon allegedly prescribed his patients over 1.4 million tablets of oxycodone and over 450 gallons of promethazine with codeine cough syrup within just two years. He was allegedly aware that his patients were abusing opioids.
In addition to other illegal activity, Dr. Megariotis is accused of prescribing patients drugs without collecting a complete medical history, performing a physical exam, or providing specialist referrals.
Dr. Megariotis was temporarily barred from practicing medicine in early 2018 due to the allegations, the South Passaic Daily Voice reported. He was required to complete an evaluation within six months and was appointed a practice monitor to evaluate all his patient encounters.
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