Ohio Doctor Accused Of Reckless Pain Pill Prescriptions

PORT CLINTON, OH — Another Ohio doctor has been accused of illegally prescribing thousands of pain killers, including fentanyl, to patients. William Bauer, 82, has been charged with 200 counts of distribution of controlled substances and 14 counts of healthcare fraud.

“Physicians take an oath to do no harm, but Dr. Bauer pursued greed over his oath,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric B. Smith.

For nearly a dozen years, Bauer prescribed controlled substances (like fentanyl) outside the course of usual medical practice, the Department of Justice said. According to the indictment against him, Bauer would ignore warning letters about improper prescribing practices, prescribed high doses of opioids to patients regardless of pain level or quality of life, ignored patients' family history of addiction and more.

The indictment details 200 times that Bauer improperly distributed controlled substances to seven patients, between 2015 and 2018. The doctor is accused of improperly distributing fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, tramadol and methadone.

“This physician is accused of recklessly prescribing thousands of doses of fentanyl and other painkillers to people for no legitimate medical purpose,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “We will pursue doctors who flood our streets with pills and patches just as aggressively as we do the cartels and drug traffickers who seek to profit from the drug epidemic here in Ohio.”

Bauer is also accused of regularly administering epidural injection and trigger point injections with large doses methylprednisolone. The Department of Justice said there were no medical reasons for many of these injections.

According to the indictment, Bauer wouldn't properly image where he was placing needles in the spine. That failure to properly image the area meant insurance companies could not determine if the procedure was reimbursable, the indictment said.

Bauer was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the Ohio Attorney General's office, and other law enforcement groups.

“Every pill mill that we shut down is a win for addiction recovery efforts in our communities,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “My office and our partners at the local, state and federal levels are determined to root out these operations so they can be held accountable for their roles in this crisis.”

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice accused a doctor in Mansfield of taking part in a pain killer distribution ring. The indictment against the doctor said he illegally prescribed thousands of pain pills, which were then sold on the black market.