A Texas physician has been convicted by a federal jury of unlawfully distributing more than a million pills of opioids and other controlled substances through a cash-only Houston strip mall clinic, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a May 5 news release.
Barbara Marino, MD, of Tomball, Texas, was the sole prescribing physician at Angels Clinica, where dealers allegedly brought patients to receive prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone and carisoprodol that were then filled at local pharmacies and sold on the street, according to the release.
Dr. Marino received more than $400,000 in less than a year for writing prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose. More than 99% of the time, according to the release, Dr. Marino prescribed only the strongest short-acting versions of the drugs, often in combination.
Dr. Marino was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and four counts of distributing a controlled substance. She faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
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