The DEA plans to revoke Dr. Bickman’s prescribing registration number, effective April 2009. According to the report, Dr. Bickman was accused of allowing Harrell Robinson, MD, a plastic surgeon, to use his prescribing number to order Vicodin and other drugs in exchange for a $2,000-a-month payment. Dr. Robinson then sold the drugs to a clinic in Santa Ana for $10,000 a month.
Dr. Bickman allowed Dr. Robinson to use his prescribing number for the orders from late 2007 until Oct. 2008, according to the report. At the time, Dr. Bickman worked at Hills Surgical Institute in Anaheim Hills, an outpatient facility that Dr. Robinson owned.
Dr. Robinson agreed to surrender his medical license in 2009 after the California Medical Board accused him of illegally purchasing and selling drugs.
Read the Orange County Register report on Dr. Bickman.
Read more on anesthesia:
–Anesthesia Highest Earner of All Hospital-Based Physician Specialties
-Study: Obese Patients Twice As Likely to Develop Airway Problems During General Anesthesia
–ASA Updates Guidelines on Chronic Pain Management
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.
