Madison Doctor Who Prescribed 'Thousands' Of Opiate Painkillers Targeted in N.J. Prescription Drug Crackdown

A Madison doctor who pleaded guilty last December to second-degree narcotics distribution charge in connection with illegally prescribing thousands of oxycodone pills is among those targeted in a statewide crackdown on the abuse of prescription medications.

Vincent Esposito of Madison is awaiting sentencing in the case in which he is accused of conspiring to prescribe thousands of oxycodone pills without a medical exam to individuals who did not have a medical need for the drug.

Authorities say Esposito conspired with pharmacist Srinivasa Raju, whom authorities say filled the fraudulent prescriptions. Raju faces pending second-degree narcotics distribution charges.

The case was among several criminal investigations highlighted in a news release from the state Attorney General’s office, which announced it has filed 50 disciplinary actions seeking to revoke, suspend, or otherwise restrict the practicing authorities of prescribers, pharmacists, or pharmacies.

The restrictions are part of a 15-month crackdown on practitioners who allegedly put the public at risk through the negligent prescribing or dispensing of opiate painkillers and/or other controlled substances medications. Eight of the 50 individuals targeted were responsible for writing more than 45,000 prescriptions, representing 3.2 million doses of medicatios during 2012 alone, authorities said.

“The only way to make progress against opiate abuse is to fight it on multiple fronts at the same time,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said.

“Even as we pursue criminal cases against heroin rings and pill distribution mills, we also must take strong action against prescribers and dispensers who make pills available for abuse. By putting doctors and pharmacists who illegally peddle this mayhem into prison, and/or by revoking or suspending licenses or CDS registrations for non-criminal matters, we are sending a clear message to other practitioners who may be tempted to let greed or negligence corrupt their practice,” he added.

The report comes just days after the Attorney General’s office issued a statewide directive to ensure that police and prosecuting agencies throughout the state take critical steps to address the crisis of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse.

Clifton Howell, another physician indicted during the state’s crackdown, also has ties to the Morris County community. The physician was sentenced to three years state prison for his role in a narcotics ring. According to the Attorney General, the ring defrauded Medicaid and unlawfully distributed prescription pain pills, such as OxyContin and Percocet, on the black market in Morris, Bergen, Ocean, Hudson, and Monmouth counties.

The leader of the ring, Louis Lisi, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. The charges stemmed from Operation MedScam, a joint investigation by the New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Jersey City Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit.

Of the 50 public actions filed since July 2013, 23 cases have sought disciplinary action against licensees of professional boards within the Division of Consumer Affairs, including actions against 15 physicians, seven pharmacies or pharmacists, and one dentist, the Attorney General’s office reports.

New Directives for Fighting Prescription Drug Crimes

New Jersey’s new directives on curbing prescription pain killer abuse include expanding the project medicine drop program and the prescription monitoring program. Beginning Nov. 3, new mandatory security requirements for New Jersey prescription blanks will take effect.

Pharmacies received a new set of best practices recommendations last May. State officials have also created the Pain Management Council, which will help the Department of Consumer Affairs develop best practice recommendations for New Jersey’s healthcare professionals.

For more information on the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs’ initiative to halt the diversion and abuse of prescription drugs, view the Division’s NJPMP website, and the Division’s Project Medicine Drop website.