Former Kenton County coroner's license suspended, and it had been restricted twice before
The license of a former Kenton County coroner and family practice doctor was suspended after he was indicted in U.S. District Court last week on charges that he unlawfully distributed opioids.
Dr. David Suetholz served as Kenton County Coroner for 20 years until he retired from the position in June of this year. He worked as a family physician for over 45 years.
Now the 73-year-old faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
In response to the indictment, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure issued an emergency order suspending Suetholz's medical license on Friday.
News:Former Kenton County coroner indicted on opioid distribution charges
The chair of the board's inquiry panel concluded: "There is probable cause to believe this licensee's practice constitutes a danger to the health, welfare and safety of his patients or the general public."
The board also stated that from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2012 to 2014 Suetholz's medical license was restricted.
Suetholz's lawyers, Kent Wicker and Bill Brammell, said in a statement Wednesday said the doctor has dedicated the last 20 years of his medical career to serving those suffering from the opioid epidemic. They said Suetholz has complied with the board in the past and was cleared to continue his practice
"Now, without inquiry or investigation, the KBML has chosen to suspend his medical license in light of the federal government’s irresponsible decision to charge him, second-guessing the decision making of a man who has dedicated his life to treating those suffering with addiction," the statement said.
Wicker and Brammell said Suetholz is worried how his patients will be affected by the government's actions, but "is confident he will be vindicated."
'Altruistic reasons'
In 2002, the board restricted Suetholz license temporarily barring him from prescribing methadone as a treatment for opioid addiction.
The investigation found that he was giving methadone to a patient who was addicted to Oxycontin saying, "it was better for her to get Methadone than to buy drugs on the street," according to board records.
Special permits for operating a methadone clinic must be obtained in order for prescriptions of this nature to be given on an ongoing basis.
After his license was restricted, the board said Suetholz persuaded other physicians to give him blank prescriptions so he could continue providing controlled substances to his patients.
"After he became aware of the illegal nature of his practice, he continued to prescribe methadone," the board wrote. "He did this for admittedly altruistic motivation: to make this service available for patients who could not, because of cost or inaccessibility, participate in legally sanctioned maintenance programs."
However, the investigators said his actions departed from the accepted standard of care and violated DEA rules.
After several reviews of his charts and interviews with patients, the board seemed satisfied that he was no longer violating the law and ended the restriction on his license in November 2005.
A second license restriction
Suetholz's license was restricted again in 2014 after an official in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services made a report about his prescribing practices.
According to board records, the investigation found that several patients received early refills of oxycodone, Xanax and Valium. Several patients were filling their prescriptions at multiple pharmacies and pill counts were not being monitored.
The board also stated Suetholz did not address reports of his patients selling or stealing pills. According to the records, the doctor also increased doses of Xanax and opioids without proper documentation as to why it was necessary.
One patient used or obtained 300 pills of 500mg hydrocodone in less than a month, but Suetholz did not discuss this with the patient.
After a number of compliance inspections, chart reviews, a personalized education plan and the completion of a Vanderbilt University Medical Center certification on prescribing controlled drugs, the restrictions on Suetholz's license were lifted in August 2014.
In the indictment filed last week, Suetholz was charged with 10 counts of distribution of a controlled substance
Suetholz is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky on Oct. 27 for his arraignment before Magistrate Candace Smith.