Dr. Talbot owned and operated Medex Clinical Consultants, a medical clinic that accepted cash payments from individuals seeking prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances, according to a Feb. 6 news release from the Justice Department.
In 2015, Dr. Talbot took a full-time job in Pineville, La., but continued to pre-sign prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances to individuals at Medex whom he did not see or examine.
In addition, Dr. Talbot falsified patient records to cover up the scheme. The individuals who purchased the prescriptions filled them with insurance benefits, causing programs including Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to be billed for controlled substances that were prescribed without a patient exam or medical necessity.
In total, Dr. Talbot conspired to illegally distribute more than 1.8 million doses of controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine, and defrauded healthcare programs for more than $5.4 million, the release said.
