Physician Resolves Allegations of Improper Prescribing Practices Involving Controlled Substances

BOSTON – A family medicine practitioner based out of Three Rivers, Mass. has agreed to pay $220,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act by prescribing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice.

As part of the settlement agreement, Dr. Stephen R. Holuk, 75, of Three Rivers, admitted that he regularly prescribed schedule II-controlled substances for his patients. For four of his patients, Dr. Holuk prescribed opioids in combination with benzodiazepines and muscle relaxers. During the covered period, Dr. Holuk wrote 280 prescriptions for opioids for these four patients alone, while also prescribing them benzodiazepines and muscle relaxers. Moreover, Dr. Holuk prescribed opioids for his patients without consistently conducting functional pain assessments or opioid risk assessments. He also rarely checked the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (formerly the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program), before prescribing his patients schedule II controlled substances, as required by Massachusetts law.  

Under the Controlled Substances Act physicians, and other prescribers registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration, may only issue prescriptions for a legitimate medical purpose and in the usual course of professional practice.

“When doctors prescribe addictive opioids outside the scope of proper professional practice, they put patients at risk of overdose and undermine efforts to address the opioid crisis,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to hold medical providers accountable for irresponsible prescribing, especially when it threatens the safety of our communities.”

“This settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Stephen Holuk abused his prescribing privileges,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Doctors willing to illegally distribute and prescribe opioids only deepen the drug epidemic that continues to ravage our area. We encourage the public to report any information about prescription abuse to us or our law enforcement partners.”

“Medical practitioners who prescribe controlled substances have an obligation to do so responsibly and for legitimate medical purposes,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  “We will continue to investigate allegations of dangerous and irresponsible prescribing as we work to protect patients from such conduct.”

U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.