Ohio doctor convicted of illegally prescribing pain pills

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal jury has convicted an Ohio doctor accused of illegally distributing medication including pain pills, often by handing out pre-signed prescriptions to his staff on days he wasn’t present, according to the government.

Dr. Roger Anderson, 65, of Marietta, provided opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone to patients through “staff who were not legally qualified to give prescriptions,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Anderson also mixed drugs in dangerous combinations, including a concoction known as a “Holy Trinity” which included a painkiller, a tranquilizer, and a muscle relaxant, the government said.

After a two-week trial, the jury found Anderson guilty Friday of one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances, eight counts of illegal dispensing of controlled substances and one count of committing health care fraud.

A message was left with his attorney seeking comment. Ohio medical board records show Anderson was issued his medical license, which remains active, in 1992.

“Anderson ignored blatant red flags that his patients were abusing and diverting the opioids he prescribed,” U.S. Attorney David DeVillers said in a statement.

No sentencing date was set. Anderson faces 30 years in prison.