Savannah's weight-loss physician, Dr. Donald Lyle Gates, has settled a civil dispute over allegations of mishandling prescription drug records, agreeing to a sizeable penalty and heightened DEA oversight. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Gates, who operates Scale Solutions clinics in the area, is to pay $100,000 and adhere to stringent conditions to maintain his authorization in dispensing controlled substances.
Record-keeping requirements, as emphasized in a statement by U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg, play a vital role in preventing the illegal diversion of addictive drugs. She stated, "Those with the authority to dispense potentially addictive drugs are expected to balance that power with the responsibility to provide adequate and trustworthy recordkeeping." The allegations detailed by the DEA pointed to insufficient records at Gates' clinics for substances like phentermine and phendimetrazine, heightening concerns for possible unlawful distribution, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The DEA inspections found that Dr. Gates' offices had incomplete and inaccurate records concerning key data points such as inventories and distribution of controlled substances. The investigation further alleged that Gates transferred some of these substances to unregistered locations, including his home, breaching the protocols stipulated by the Controlled Substances Act, which effects a tightly regulated system tracking these substances from manufacturer to patient.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, emphasized the importance of rigorous record-keeping in a statement to the U.S. Attorney’s Office: "Diverted and misused prescription medications pose a grave threat to public health." He added, "Therefore, it’s expected and required that physicians and other trusted medical providers maintain meticulous records of these controlled substances to prevent prescription drug abuse."
The civil settlement, coupled with a Memorandum of Agreement which does not signify an admission of liability by Gates, were outcomes of an investigation led by the DEA and articulated through negotiations by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradford C. Patrick.
