In the News – Prescriptions Through the Internet; Doctors Need to Watch Out

Snippet from the article:

Christian Ellis Hageseth, III, of Fort Collins, Colorado was sentenced to serve nine months in county jail and pay the Medical Board of California over $4,000 to reimburse the cost of its investigation of him. Hageseth also was placed on supervised probation for three years.

Medical Board investigators identified Hageseth after receiving information that while not licensed to practice medicine, he prescribed an antidepressant for the treatment of major depressive disorder to a 19-year-old male in California. The man committed suicide fewer than 60 days after receiving the drug. Hageseth prescribed the medication after reviewing information provided by the customer over the Internet.

The Medical Board referred the case for criminal prosecution and Hageseth was charged with violating Business and Professions Code section 2052, a felony, for practicing medicine in California without a license.

Read the full text — Former Colorado physician sentenced in case involving death of Californian to whom he illegally prescribed drugs over the Internet

This crime is far more widespread than most of us realize, as doctors try to make money from their ability to write prescriptions. Shameful.