Residents of California may want to learn more about the case of a doctor who accepted money from drug and device manufacturers. She has a warning for future doctors and is speaking out at medical schools to warn future doctors of this type of fraud.
Facing the possibility of jail time, according to healthcare sources, this woman may lose her medical license as well as go to jail.
She is now a convicted felon
Accepting envelopes full of cash gave cause for her conviction for one count of accepting bribes. It happened in 2014 and will always be there. She thought she just had a tax problem, but the reality was she had engaged in much more.
Teaching the business of being a doctor
Medical schools do not prepare future doctors for the realities of their practice. A parade of pharmaceutical and device representatives may march through an office. You, as a new doctor, need to be aware of their tactics. This is not something they taught at the medical school where you graduated.
Referring patients has consideration as a “kickback”
Fraud has serious consequences, even when you think the drug or device sounds good. A referral, when money is involved, receives consideration as a kickback.
Retribution through education
This doctor wants to be sure that future physicians know the perils of having involvement in pharmaceutical fraud. Fines and jail time are often penalties.
A doctor is speaking out about the dangers of bribery by letting future doctors know about accepting payment for referring patients. This gave her a conviction as a felon and might be the end to her career as a doctor.
