ST. LOUIS – As the national opioid crisis continues, the fight against the exploitation of controlled substances and hard drug prescriptions carries on.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Dr. David A. Parks, 66; James M. Bilderback, 58; and Michelle J. Scheer, 43, were indicted for illegally prescribing controlled substances and even defrauding health care insurers.
The trio worked out of a clinic located in the Central West End. Prosecutors said the three conspired to commit the crime for an increase in patient population and, with that, their profit.
The doctor and his two employees prescribed controlled substances outside of what is the professional norm and for no legitimate medical purpose at Dr. Parks’ clinic, located in the 3900 block of Lindell Boulevard in the Central West End.
Many of Parks’ patients would regularly receive prescriptions including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and dextroamphetamine-amphetamine salts that aid in the treatment of ADHD and are similar to Adderall.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, between July 6, 2016 and December 31, 2021, the trio continually prescribed substances that, when combined, would increase the addictive, euphoric effects of the drugs. Additionally, the prescriptions given would increase the potential for overdoses and lead to other situations related to drug abuse.
Dr. Parks ran the clinic and Bilderback was the clinical manager and clinical research coordinator at the clinic. Parks and Bilderback were later married while working at the clinic and Scheer worked at the front desk as a receptionist.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Parks would only be present at the clinic one to two days per week and for only a few hours at a time. The staff reportedly used pre-signed prescriptions, allowing patients to obtain substances without being evaluated or having any medical records reviewed while Parks was out of the office.
Bilderback or another employee would even forge Parks’ signature on prescriptions.
For prescriptions processed electronically, Parks and Bilderback gave the cellphone used to approve those prescriptions to staffers with no prescribing authority, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Scheer, while at the front desk, would use the cellphone to make her own decisions regarding patient prescriptions, such as changing their dosage, quantities, and types of substances included in prescriptions.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Parks instructed clinic staff not to drug test patients in order to prevent the detection of potential signs of drug abuse and distribution to non-patients.
“Special treatment” was even given to friends and family of Parks and Bilderback through issuing prescriptions for drugs whenever they desired and without any requirement to see another provider.
Parks failed to properly supervise nurse practitioners and did not review even 10% of their charts documenting nurse practitioner activities.
During an appointment at the clinic, patients were sometimes seen by only a nurse practitioner or Bilderback but were charged higher rates as if they were seen by Parks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Outside of illegally distributing controlled substances, the couple was charged for defrauding Medicare, Missouri Medicaid, and private health insurers. The couple would often bill insurers for services that identified Parks as the healthcare provider when he was out of the country at the time of the claim, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Parks, Bilderback and Scheer were each charged with conspiracy to illegally prescribe controlled substances and five counts of the illegal prescribing of a controlled substance.
Parks and Bilderback were charged on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and eight additional counts of illegally prescribing a controlled substance. The couple was also charged with 15 counts of making false statements regarding health care matters.
