Ohio doctor sentenced for overprescribing painkillers, fraud

Toledo, Ohio (AP) — A doctor who portrayed himself as an advocate for patients who need legitimate pain treatment has been sentenced to five years in prison for overprescribing painkillers.

A federal judge on Thursday also ordered Dr. William Bauer of Port Clinton to pay $460,000 in restitution.

Bauer, 85, was convicted last summer on charges of distributing controlled substances to 14 patients and healthcare fraud. Bauer denied he was responsible for any harm to his patients.

Federal prosecutors said he prescribed dangerous drug combinations and high doses of addictive narcotics that weren’t medically necessary at his office in Bellevue.

Bauer’s attorney has said he’ll appeal the verdict. Bauer testified that the medication allowed patients to resume some normal activities and that he closely monitored his patients to watch for any signs of drug abuse.

Prior to his arrest, Bauer was a vocal critic of the crackdown on opioid pills for chronic pain patients, saying they were being hurt by moves to stop them from receiving large amounts of opioid pain pills.