A federal jury today convicted a Maine physician of multiple counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl.
The verdict comes after a thorough investigation and trial highlighting the doctor’s illicit prescribing practices.
Dr. Merideth Norris, 53, of Kennebunk, distributed controlled substances to patients at her practice without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice.
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Norris prescribed controlled substances despite the fact that some of these patients suffered from opioid use disorder, tested positive for addictive substances that were not prescribed to them, or appeared to be diverting the drugs into the community.
Norris was warned about her prescribing on numerous occasions, including by way of pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions she wrote and letters from an insurance company covering one of her patients.
Walmart pharmacies also issued a “central block,” or a nationwide ban, on filling prescriptions written by Norris.
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When asked by Maine’s Board of Osteopathic Licensure (the “Board”) to justify her prescribing, Norris submitted an incomplete patient file to the Board, and otherwise deceived the Board about her prescribing practices.
The jury convicted Norris of 15 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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