NW Indiana Doctor Pleads Guilty In Overprescribing Case

Associated Press

HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) — A northwestern Indiana doctor accused of overprescribing painkillers has pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge.

Dr. Jay K. Joshi pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Hammond to distribution of a controlled substance. The Burr Ridge, Illinois, man faces 20 years in prison and $1 million in fines when he's sentenced Nov. 15.

Federal prosecutors say Joshi, a general practice physician in Munster, Indiana, is one of Indiana's top 10 DEA-registered prescribers of controlled substances.

He was indicted in January on allegations he prescribed hydrocodone tablets to an undercover agent on four occasions last year after only a cursory medical examination.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that prosecutors allege Joshi issued more than 6,000 prescriptions for controlled substances since April 2017 after obtaining data from Indiana's prescription monitoring program.

Tags:prescription drugs

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