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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine doctor who ran a drug rehabilitation center has been convicted of multiple counts of illegally distributing opioids, including oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl.
Dr. Merideth Norris, 53, of Kennebunk, Maine, was found guilty in federal court Friday of dispensing opioids at his clinic without a legitimate medical purpose and knowing that some of his patients were addicted to opioids, according to court documents.
She prescribed the drugs even though the patients failed drug tests or were known to redistribute the drugs in the community, according to court documents.
A federal jury convicted Norris of 15 counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and he faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
According to the Portland Press Herald, prosecutors allege Norris endangered the health of his patients and failed to heed warning signs, such as conducting unapproved drug tests on his patients or notifications from insurance companies about prescribing dangerous combinations of opioids and other medications.
His lawyers argued that Norris helped patients reduce their medication use and that the charges ignored the complexity of caring for opioid addicts and the difficulty in finding doctors, the newspaper said.
Norris could not be reached for comment on his case, and his rehabilitation center was closed Saturday.
Norris’s prescribing practices have long faced scrutiny, including from pharmacists who refused to fill his prescriptions. Walmart pharmacies have also issued “central injunctions,” or nationwide bans, prohibiting the filling of Norris’ prescriptions.
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