Warren County Doctor Indicted for Illegal Prescriptions of Opioid Narcotic Drugs to Three Women

St. Louis, MO – Philip D. Dean, M.D., 62, of Warrenton, Missouri, was indicted today   with eight felony charges for making false statements to Medicare and Medicaid and illegally distributing fentanyl, hydrocodone, and other controlled prescription drugs without a legitimate medical purpose.

According to the Indictment, Dr. Dean had personal relationships with several women, and during the relationships provided these women with prescriptions for narcotic pain relief opioid drugs.  With one woman, Dr. Dean wrote her multiple prescriptions using the name of her family member, and then Dr. Dean personally picked some of these drugs up from the pharmacy and paid the co-payment amount.  With another woman, Dr. Dean exchanged text and social media messages with sexual content before making prescription decisions for her.  Finally, Dr. Dean prescribed a drug called Subsys®, a narcotic pain relief drug that contains Fentanyl, to one of the women, causing Medicaid to pay approximately $213,000.  However, Subsys® is only approved for use in cancer patients with breakthrough pain, and the woman who received the Subsys® prescriptions did not have cancer.            

If convicted, the charges of false statements to Medicare and Medicaid carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The drug distribution charges have maximum penalties of either 20 or 5 years in prison and a fine of either $1,000,000 or $250,000.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, and the Warrenton Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Andy Lay is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As is always the case, charges set forth in the complaint are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.