A Lawrence family medicine physician was indicted Wednesday on charges of illegally prescribing controlled substances and defrauding the state’s Medicaid program, Attorney General Maura Healey announced Friday.
Former medical director at Lawrence Medical Center, Dr. Ramon Suarez-Martinez, 69, of Methuen, was indicted Wednesday by an Essex County Grand Jury on charges of illegal prescribing of a controlled substance, 12 counts, in connection with six patients, and six counts of Medicaid false claims, officials said.
An investigation revealed that Suarez-Martinez prescribed controlled substances including amphetamines, benzodiazepines and morphine sulfate to his patients when he allegedly was aware, from repeated urine drug screens, that they were not taking the drugs, the AG’s Office said.
In several instances, urine drug screens indicated that patients were negative for the prescribed medications but positive for illicit substances such as cocaine or fentanyl. Suarez-Martinez allegedly continued to prescribe to those patients without addressing the illicit drug use, Healey’s office said.
According to prosecutors, Suarez-Martinez knowingly prescribed the drugs for “no legitimate medical purpose” and “not in the usual course of professional practice.”
Those illegal prescriptions resulted in false claims billed to and paid for by MassHealth, officials claimed.
Suarez-Martinez no longer holds a license to practice medicine. He will be arraigned in Essex Superior Court on May 19.
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