A physician who was practicing in Salt Lake City has pleaded guilty to distributing oxycodone outside of medical practice in what the Justice Department called a "sex for scripts" scheme.
An investigation found that David Rodriguez, MD, prescribed oxycodone to a patient 15 times between May 2018 and January 2019, even though the patient had been a patient of the physician only from 2013 to 2014, the Justice Department said Aug. 19.
When the patient returned to see Dr. Rodriguez in 2018 for pain treatment, he did not ask the patient about her current medical history nor ask what controlled substances she might be taking despite clear indicators she was using illicit drugs, the release said.
The patient requested an oxycodone prescription at the first appointment and Dr. Rodriguez provided the first of 15 prescriptions at a high dosage. Dr. Rodriguez provided his patient his Snapchat information and began sending her nude pictures, the release said.
"The patient believed this to be a 'sex for scripts' trade, where if she engaged in sexual behavior, Rodriguez would write her prescriptions for oxycodone," according to the release.
In 2018, the patient filmed her appointments with Dr. Rodriguez, which included him inappropriately touching the patient and other sexual activity. After the sexual activity concluded, Dr. Rodriguez wrote the patient a prescription for oxycodone.
Dr. Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1 million, the release said.