A federal court has permanently barred Dr. Gregory Gerber, a Port Clinton physician, from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances. He has also been ordered to pay $4.7 million in fines for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the False Claims Act (FCA).
The judgment stems from a 2018 civil complaint alleging that Gerber unlawfully prescribed opioids and other controlled substances without a legitimate medical basis.
The complaint further accused Gerber of accepting kickbacks from a drug manufacturer to promote Subsys, a powerful fentanyl-based opioid painkiller. One of Gerber’s patients tragically died from an overdose of fentanyl patches he prescribed.
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This decision underscores the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding medical professionals accountable for their role in the ongoing opioid crisis.
Authorities emphasized that Gerber’s actions not only violated the law but also betrayed the trust of his patients and contributed to the widespread suffering caused by opioid addiction.
In addition to the civil penalties, Gerber was previously sentenced to 42 months in prison and one year of home confinement in a related criminal case.
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