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发帖数: 16092 | 1 LOS ANGELES (AP) — The second-degree murder convictions this week of a Los
Angeles-area physician were the first against a U.S. doctor for recklessly
prescribing drugs, the Los Angeles district attorney's office said.
Dr. Hsiu-Ying "Lisa" Tseng was convicted of murder on Friday in a landmark
case for killing three patients who overdosed on what a prosecutor called "
crazy, outrageous amounts" of painkillers she prescribed.
It's rare to bring homicide charges against a physician, but the case came
amid a prescription drug abuse epidemic that has led lawmakers to try to
rein in so-called pill mills that dole out medications with little scrutiny.
"You can't hide behind a white lab coat and commit crimes," Deputy District
Attorney John Niedermann said. "Writing a prescription to someone knowing
that they're going to abuse it and potentially die was the theory of second-
degree murder that we had."
A dozen of Tseng's patients died, though prosecutors only brought three
murder charges because of other factors involved in some of those deaths,
such as drugs prescribed by other doctors and a possible suicide.
Tseng, 45, showed no emotion as the convictions were read out loud, though
her lawyer said she was emotional and very upset later. Jurors deliberated
for 10 days before reaching the verdicts.
She was also convicted of illegally writing prescriptions for two of the
deceased patients and 16 other people, including two undercover agents who
were investigating how easily she prescribed addictive pain pills after
brief office visits. She was acquitted of illegally writing a hydrocodone
prescription to a third undercover officer.
Tseng prescribed "crazy, outrageous amounts of medication" to patients who
didn't need the pills, Niedermann told jurors in Los Angeles County Superior
Court during closing arguments.
The doctor repeatedly ignored warning signs even after several patients died
as she built a new medical clinic in Rowland Heights with the money she
made from them, earning $5 million in one three-year period. One patient
even overdosed in her office and had to be revived.
"Something is wrong with what you're doing if your patients are dying,"
Niedermann said.
Tseng's lawyer said her client naively trusted her patients. Defense lawyer
Tracy Green said patients testified they were legitimately in pain and later
became dependent on the drugs, hiding their addictions by seeing other
doctors and picking up prescriptions from different pharmacies.
Green had asked jurors to acquit Tseng on all but one drug count.
Tseng shouldn't have been convicted of anything more than manslaughter and
plans to appeal, Green said after the verdict.
"It's disappointing," Green said. "I don't think it bodes well for doctors
in America."
Tseng faces up to life in prison when sentenced Dec. 14.
She was convicted of killing Vu Nguyen, 29, of Lake Forest, Steven Ogle, 25,
of Palm Desert, and Joseph Rovero, 21, an Arizona State University student
from San Ramon. The three died of overdoses between March and December 2009.
Tseng barely kept any records on the three men until she was contacted by
the Medical Board of California. She then fabricated charts to make it look
like she kept thorough records of diagnoses and noted she was weaning them
off drugs, Niedermann said.
Tseng ignored pleas from family members of patients who demanded she stop
prescribing drugs to them.
April Rovero, who lost her son almost six years ago, said she had waited for
justice so long that she almost couldn't believe it when she heard the
words "guilty" uttered repeatedly.
She said her son and others were culpable at some level, but they had lost
the ability to stop themselves and Tseng took advantage.
If her son were alive today, she'd tell him that his bad choice led to an
outcome that could have a broader impact.
"This is something that could make a difference as we turn this doctor
overprescribing situation around," Rovero said. "I wish he was here,
certainly, but his life has made a difference." |
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