George Barrio, MD, has agreed to pay $225,000 to settle allegations that he overprescribed controlled substances to patients.
The allegations occurred while the pain management physician was practicing at the NeuroMedical Institute in Panama City, according to a March 14 news release from the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The case alleged Dr. Barrio wrote prescriptions that were outside the usual course of professional practice and lacked legitimate purpose. In addition to paying the fine, he agreed to surrender his DEA registration for Schedule II and IIN controlled substances to settle the allegations.
"We are holding physicians accountable for disregarding patient safety and violating federal law when they write prescriptions that lack a legitimate medical purpose," U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Jason Coody said in the release. "Their actions not only violate the Controlled Substance Act but contribute to the opioid epidemic ravaging our communities."