Scott Reuben, MD, anesthesiologist, pain management specialist and former chief of the Baystate Medical Center Hospital acute pain clinic in Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by a federal court on Thursday to six months in jail plus three years supervised release after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, according to a news release.
Dr. Reuben was charged with submitting fabricated research in a 2007 pain management study of patients who had knee surgery. The test, funded by a $73,000 research grant, was supposed to measure the effects of the drug Celebrex on reducing post-operative pain.
A 2008 routine audit by Baystate revealed the test was never conducted, even though Dr. Reuben had published studies suggesting otherwise. After further investigation, the hospital discovered Dr. Reuben had misrepresented findings in 21 other studies dating back to 1996.
Dr. Reuben lost his medical license and has been banned from conducting drug research.
Read more about Dr. Reuben's sentencing.
Dr. Reuben was charged with submitting fabricated research in a 2007 pain management study of patients who had knee surgery. The test, funded by a $73,000 research grant, was supposed to measure the effects of the drug Celebrex on reducing post-operative pain.
A 2008 routine audit by Baystate revealed the test was never conducted, even though Dr. Reuben had published studies suggesting otherwise. After further investigation, the hospital discovered Dr. Reuben had misrepresented findings in 21 other studies dating back to 1996.
Dr. Reuben lost his medical license and has been banned from conducting drug research.
Read more about Dr. Reuben's sentencing.