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Officials: Tenn. doctors conspired to sell opioid prescriptions for $300

Two doctors have had their licenses suspended after working together to sell prescriptions through an insurance company they created

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Dr. Michael Lapaglia is awaiting sentencing for selling opioid prescriptions for $300.

Photo/Knoxville Police Dept

By EMS1 Staff

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two doctors’ licenses were suspended by state officials after conspiring to sell opioid prescriptions for $300 each, according to court documents

The Tennessean reported that the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners voted to suspend the licenses of Dr. Charles Brooks and Dr. Michael Lapaglia. Lapaglia had already lost the ability to write prescriptions for addictive medications after pleading guilty to federal drug crimes.

State documents said Brooks and Lapaglia worked together to sell opioid prescriptions through their insurance company, L & B Healthcare.

The documents said Brooks would sign prescription slips and give them to Lapaglia, who could not prescribe medications due to a drug abuse case in 2014.

According to the documents, Lapaglia would meet patients and give them prescriptions for opioids and benzodiazepines that Brooks had pre-signed, charging them $300 a month, half of which would go to Brooks.

Lapaglia is currently awaiting sentencing. Brooks does not appear to have been charged criminally.

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