Dr. Reppy has never had a patient come to harm. He has never even been named in a lawsuit. Nevertheless, the Powers That Be (which include, in his case, the Tampa DEA and the Department of Health in Tallahassee) intend to strip him of his license and his ability to practice medicine, causing him to lose everything he has worked for his entire life - to drive home the point of how powerful they are. You can be the judge of whether the intended punishment fits the infraction...
Six years ago Dr. Reppy was hired as an hourly employee to be the medical director of a clinic. The clinic was owned by a cartel of non-doctors who also owned a pharmacy, but that financial connection was kept hidden from the doctor. Part of the clinic's business was to use telemedicine to interview patients over the internet and prescribe to them. That was something Dr. Reppy had not seen before and wasn't certain about the legality of it. He did his due diligence, and was shown Florida state statutes maintaining that it was allowable as long as certain documentation standards were maintained. Then he sought the advice of a lawyer, who told him it was legal. He was even shown a letter from the DEA itself, giving its permission.
Nonetheless, the DEA maintains that all that doesn't matter, and that Dr. Reppy must pay dearly for his involvement in an "internet prescribing scheme" that he neither set up, nor profited from. The DEA points to hundreds of prescriptions for narcotics made in his name. Dr. Reppy has proven that these were written by a P.A. (physician's assistant) hired by the owner of the pharmacy and written without Dr. Reppy's permission, while he was on administrative leave tending to his ailing wife who had had recent brain surgery.
"Doesn't matter!" maintains the DEA, since legally a doctor is liable for whatever his PA may do. The PA was being paid by the prescription and made a great deal more money than did the doctor with his straight wage. Still doesn't matter, according to the wise and merciful government attorneys.
To those patients, and family of patients, with real and painful chronic conditions who sympathize with the doctors who have been helping them, please take a moment to express your compassion. Write to your congressmen and protest the crusading zeal with which the government authorities are steamrolling over doctors doing their best to cope with a bad situation. In Dr. Reppy's case, Congressman Bill Young is trying to help, and some mail or calls to his office would likely be useful. Strike a blow for justice, and vent your disapproval today.
