A Kentucky dentist was recently convicted of unlawfully prescribing opioids, including unlawfully prescribing morphine that caused a patient’s death.
Jay Sadrinia, DDS, was the owner of Northern Kentucky Dental Center in Crescent Springs, Ky. He prescribed opioids to his patients for routine dental procedures, despite being told that the prescriptions were dangerous, according to a June 23 news release from the Justice Department. In one case, he prescribed a patient medically unnecessary quantities of narcotics, including morphine, and charged $37,000 for dental procedures. The patient fatally overdosed on the morphine seven days later.
Dr. Sadrinia was convicted of one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death and one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 13.
Dr. Sadrinia faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death count. He also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the unlawful distribution count, the news release said.