Two Dallas-area physicians, Cesar B. Pena Rodriguez, M.D., and Leovares A. Mendez, M.D., have been permanently banned from prescribing opioids and other controlled substances and ordered to pay a total of $1.2 million in civil penalties, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today.
The ruling follows a 2019 civil complaint in which the United States alleged that the doctors violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by issuing prescriptions for opioids and other drugs outside the bounds of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose, the department says.
“Prescribing opioids for no legitimate purpose betrays the trust placed in our medical professionals and significantly threatens the communities they serve,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton of the DOJ’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to use every available tool to stop doctors who fail to uphold their obligation to prescribe controlled substances lawfully.”
According to the DOJ, the doctors issued thousands of prescriptions without regard for patient harm, including the notorious “trinity” drug cocktail—a combination of opioids, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxers—known for its high risk of abuse. The court imposed a $291,451 civil penalty on Mendez and a $914,021 judgment against Pena Rodriguez.