Montco Doc, Illegally Prescribed Opioids, Sentenced To Probation

NORRISTOWN, PA — A Montgomery County doctor who illegally prescribed prescription drugs to numerous patients, leading to nine overdose deaths, was sentenced to eight years probation Tuesday.

Lawrence Miller, 49, of Warminster, dealt the drugs from his Hatfield Township practice, according to authorities. His medical license has also been suspended and will remain suspended for the remainder of his sentence.

Affectionately remembered by many of his former patients, few suspected that there was a "dark side" to the man, who, police said, went from family doctor to magnet for drug addicts and drug traffickers.

>>Patients Loved Him, But 9 Of Them Died: The Story Of Dr. Miller

Miller was one of four Montgomery County doctors arrested on similar charges following a crackdown on the opioid epidemic in Sept. 2018.

Miller often prescribed doses that were up to 10 times higher than the maximum dosage recommended by state and national guidelines, authorities said.

>>4 Montco Doctors Prescribed Opioids To Addicts, Drug Dealers: DA

In some cases, Miller would prescribe more than 500 pills of opioid painkillers, according to the DA. Police said little or no accompanying medical treatment came with the prescriptions.

Additionally, prosecutors say he was not adhering to the requirements of the prescription drug-monitoring program, which went into effect in January 2017. The system allows doctors to check and see if patients are receiving drugs from other doctors that could harmfully interact with each other. Checking the prescription drug-monitoring program before writing a script for an opioid is required by law, however, prosecutors say Miller had not queried the database a single time in more than a year, but continued to provide opioids to his patients.

He was arrested on Sept. 12, 2018. Of the 51 charges filed against him, most were dropped, and he ultimately pleaded no contest to administering controlled substances.