advertisement

Bloomingdale physician accused of illegally prescribing opioids

A Bloomingdale resident who managed a Melrose Park medical practice was indicted on federal charges for prescribing opioids to people who didn't have a medical need for the drugs, authorities said.

Authorities say Dr. Stanley David Demorest, 65, manager of Demorest Consultants LLC, and employee Dr. Nicholas Recchia, 62, of River Grove dispensed addictive controlled substances - including hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl - to individuals they knew didn't need the drugs and hadn't received physical exams or medical tests from the practice.

Demorest voluntarily surrendered his DEA registration number in 2015 but was using Recchia's registration number to issue prescriptions for controlled substances, according to the indictment.

Demorest and Recchia also caused pharmacies to submit numerous claims to Medicare and Medicaid seeking payment for improper prescriptions, authorities allege.

The indictment charges Demorest and Recchia with conspiracy to dispense controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. They both also face individual counts of health care fraud and unlawful dispensing of controlled substances, the indictment said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.