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Norman Rosen, 84, of Towson, was sentenced to four months of home detention as part of 18 months probation, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone in connection with his operation of Rosen-Hoffberg Rehabilitation and Pain Management Associates.
A partner at the clinic, Rosen admitted that patients at the practice were often prescribed high doses of oxycodone and other opioid medications.
Prosecutors said that some patients were issued prescriptions for opioids after routinely providing aberrant urine toxicology screens, including:
- Positive results for cocaine and heroin;
- Positive results for controlled substances that were not prescribed by the clinic;
- Negative results for the controlled substances prescribed by physicians.
Rosen admitted that he was aware of multiple complaints about the behavior of patients, including reports of drug deals in the parking lot near the clinic.
At times, patients were observed “nodding out” in the waiting area of the practice, officials said, while some patients allegedly tried to bring in urine that was not theirs in order to pass urine toxicology screens.
The actions at the clinic led to overdoses, some of which were fatal, and several major pharmacies refused to fill prescriptions from the clinic because of the high doses being prescribed there.
According to his plea, “as the Medical Director, Dr. Rosen established the rules for the practice. One of his rules was that the customer, i.e. the patient, is always right,” prosecutors said.
Sometimes, officials said that when other providers at the practice discharged certain patients, Rosen continued to treat the patients at the Towson location.
At times, if a patient failed a urine toxicology screen because of illicit substances in their system, Rosen would decline to discharge the patient and instead require them to return to him more frequently for follow-up treatment and evaluation, sometimes as much as three times a week.
Among Rosen’s victims was a woman who was prescribed large doses of oxycodone and clonazepam after already losing her children because of drug problems and multiple failed drug tests.
“Similarly, Rosen ignored the red flags and prescribed oxycodone and methadone to a patient who admitted to illicit drug use; had previously been criminally charged for prescription fraud and drug trafficking; had overdosed; had urine toxicology screens that were positive for heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; and had been accused of selling her pills,” prosecutors said.
According to WBAL, upwards of 60 kilograms of (pills) were distributed that “was not for any legitimate purpose.”
Rosen’s partner, Howard Hoffberg, 66, of Reisterstown, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statutes, in connection with a scheme to accept payments from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing a fentanyl-based drug.
He was sentenced to eight months in federal prison.
A physician’s assistant at the practice, William Soyke, 69, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and dispense oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, and alprazolam and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.
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