An Oklahoma City doctor has agreed to lay down his tools for dispensing controlled substances, along with shelling out $130,000 to settle civil penalty claims. These allegations, set forth by the U.S. Attorney's Office, pinpointed deficiencies in the physician's recordkeeping habits mandated by federal law, specifically the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Dr. Richard Swenson, associated with Accident Care and Treatment Center, Inc., has conceded these measures without an admission of liability, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
At the heart of the settlement lay the accusation that Dr. Swenson neglected to maintain proper purchase records for certain controlled substances, including the opioid known as Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen. From April 2022 through April 2024, it is alleged Dr. Swenson failed to properly keep DEA Forms 222 for this Schedule II controlled substance, as well as records for other Schedule III and IV substances. These strict protocols are in place to directly prevent any possiblity to wrongly divert drugs, an objective all physicians are to scrupulously respect and follow. In the agreement, Dr. Swenson has agreed to not only pay the six-figure sum but also to permanently cease dispensing and administering such substances as of April 3.
While Dr. Swenson will continue to wear the mantle of a prescriber, his authority to dispense is now rescinded. This distinction is critical, as prescribing involves the authorization of medication for patient use, whereas dispensing is the act of delivering the medication to the patient. The settlement redefines Dr. Swenson's professional boundaries within the medical sphere, but still allows him the capability to treat his patients with necessary medications, ensuring that care is not unduly interrupted.
The case investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Diversion Control and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos came to a close with this settlement. The parties embraced the agreement, to aptly avoid the likely delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in a dragged-out courtroom battle. "In reaching this settlement, Dr. Swenson did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims," according to the settlement documentation on U.S. Attorney's Office.
