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November 22, 2009

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sun investigation:

Board strips doctor of license to prescribe controlled substances

Buckwalter was served with the decision after an emergency meeting

By Marshall Allen (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 | 12:21 p.m.

Dr. Buckwalter, In His Own Words

A Deposition of Dr. Buckwalter.

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Nevada health authorities this morning stripped Dr. Kevin Buckwalter of his license to prescribe controlled substances, alleging four cases of malpractice, including one patient death due to excessive prescribing of narcotics.

The Nevada Board of Medical Examiners found that Buckwalter’s records were incomplete and did not justify the quantities of controlled substances he was prescribing to the patients. In the case of the patient death, Buckwalter prescribed “excessive” doses of the narcotic painkillers OxyContin and Kadian in 2004 and 2005, documents show.

The Las Vegas Sun has previously reported the cases of four other Buckwalter patients who were given prescriptions by the Henderson doctor that lead to their overdoses or deaths. Experts who reviewed the patients’ records on behalf of the Sun said Buckwalter was negligent, committed malpractice and should lose his medical license.

During an emergency meeting Thursday, the board summarily suspended Buckwalter’s license to prescribe drugs like Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication; hydrocodone, the narcotic in the brand name drugs Vicodin and Lortab and oxycodone, the primary ingredient in OxyContin.

Buckwalter was served with the decision this morning. His attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

The Nevada State Pharmacy Board also suspended Buckwalter’s license to prescribe controlled substances as a result of the medical board’s action. A fax was sent to all pharmacies in Nevada notifying them not to fill any prescriptions by Buckwalter for controlled substances.

Dr. Jerry Calvanese, an emergency medicine physician in Reno, reviewed Buckwalter’s records and wrote in an affidavit to state authorities that the “vast majority of records include essentially no physical exam” and that there are concerns Buckwalter has administered inappropriate narcotic shots in his office without taking proper precautions to protect patients. He called Buckwalter’s records “vague, haphazard and illegible,” and not up to expected standards.

The families of patients who died while under Buckwalter’s care expressed relief that the medical board had taken action, along with a critique that nothing was done sooner. Complaints about Buckwalter were sent to the medical board as far back as 2005, the Sun found in its investigation.

In some cases, lives might have been saved by prompt medical board action, family members say. In an 11-day period in August, Buckwalter prescribed 310 oxycodone pills to Staci Voyda, a drug addict whose drug of choice was OxyContin, Two weeks later, Voyda put a gun to her head and killed herself.

Her family says Buckwalter fueled Voyda’s addiction, contributing to her death.

Rene Kulon, Voyda’s mother, said this morning she was relieved Buckwalter can no longer prescribe the narcotic medicines, but hurt that her daughter was his “last victim.”

The suspension of Buckwalter’s license “could have happened before Staci even got a chance to walk into his office,” Kulon said. “It makes me angry they didn’t pursue this and get this doctor off the streets long ago.”

Buckwalter went to medical school at Ross University in the West Indies and was licensed to practice pediatrics and family medicine in Nevada in 1997.

Three of his former employees who spoke to the Sun described him as a kind-hearted but incompetent doctor who continued prescribing drugs to patients even when he was informed they were drug addicts, drug dealers or had overdosed from the medications.

The cases that led to the medical board’s suspension Thursday do not include patients who were included in the Sun’s reports. Several of the families of patients whose cases were examined by the Sun have filed complaints that are now being investigated by the medical board.

The Drug Enforcement Administration also has an ongoing investigation into Buckwalter’s prescribing habits, sources tell the Sun.

The Sun documented in September and October what experts who reviewed the cases called Buckwalter’s reckless and negligent pattern of prescribing drugs.

-- Buckwalter prescribed Michael Hammond, a Las Vegas business executive, more than 17,000 narcotic painkillers in 3 1/2 years, even after Hammond had overdosed on the pills.

-- Barbara Baile, 69, was prescribed heavy doses of narcotics by Buckwalter to treat her hip and back pain. Records show that a side effect of the drug, constipation, caused her bowels to rupture, poisoning her body. She died in April after an agonizing battle with sepsis. Her husband Don Baile told the Sun that he sat in on every appointment with Buckwalter and though his wife complained of constipation the doctor offered no remedy other than over-the-counter options. Experts who reviewed the case said Buckwalter should have removed the blockage manually or prescribed a drug to treat the constipation.

-- Clint and Andrea Duncan, a newlywed couple, both died within days of their first anniversary in 2005 as a result of overdoses caused by drugs prescribed by Buckwalter. Buckwalter said in a sworn deposition -- given on behalf of Andrea Duncan in an unrelated lawsuit ‹ that he did not examine her, did not order her records from other doctors and gave her large quantities of controlled substances because she asked for them.

Marshall Allen can be reached at 259-2330 or at marshall.allen@lasvegassun.com.

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

  1. By Northsider
    11/13/08 at 12:51 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    This is only the begining .

  2. By Northsider
    11/13/08 at 3:19 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Its ashame that the medical board took so long to act on this doctor. If he had lost his license sooner my niece would still be with us today to celebrate the Holidays , its a crime that these reports were filed in 2005 and not disciplined until now. This is a wake-up call for all doctors, pharmacies and regulatory agencies . Stop these criminals before they kill again. Doctors take an oath to help not hurt.

  3. By zig731
    11/13/08 at 10:08 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Northsider,

    I agree with you 100%. This should have happened years ago. I am so very happy that his licence was suspended, but unfortunately it wasn't revoked. I hope to god that his license doesn't get re-instated. I work in a pharmacy where he sent many of his patients to and when I went in today and heard the news I was elated. I remember all the times that I spoke to "Dr" Buckwalter on the phone and he told me "I'm the doctor, you're the pharmacy. I write and you fill" Hopefully I will never hear those words ever again. I just wish it would have happened a LONG time ago, maybe your neice and the countless others that have suffered due to his negligence would still be here.

  4. By Northsider
    11/14/08 at 5:59 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    How could the Medical Board of Nevada even think of reinstatement ? There are many cases that happened just in the last 2 years that they have not taken action against .I believe each case has a number and when my number comes up , I hope Staci's is the one to put the man away as a criminal .Then he could go back to med school and get some quality education.I will not rest easy until he is locked up, and a warning to all doctors beware this could be you. You never know when a pharmacist could turn you in or a complaint be filed "THINK "

  5. By spartacus84
    11/14/08 at 8:11 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    It's about time. Dr. Feelgood must have been worshipped by the pill makers. His punishment should be to ingest some of the meds he prescribed and then have them taken away.

  6. By upset08
    11/19/08 at 1:08 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    JUST FYI all he sold his practice

  7. By hendersondns
    11/27/08 at 1:53 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Why are people attacking this great doctor. He is one of the few who give his cell number out.
    This guy cares and listens. Why are only negative opinions allowed to be posted.Gee guys are you going to run all the good doctors away.. I would hope that
    all persons who are so stupid as to take more pills than directed should remove themselves from the gene pool. I guess the way Nevada treats it's doctors is why we don't have any. We will all be going to LAX to see a doctor. Unless you want your pea brain pharmacist who thinks he is a doctor to practice medicine on you.I guess I can only offer you a prayer.

  8. By tn2vegas
    12/19/08 at 11:41 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I went to this doctor years ago because of back pain. All he wanted to do was give me pain pills. I finally went to another doctor that sent me for an extra...duh??? Shouldn't that have been done in the beginning with Mr. Pill Pusher here??? I hope they hang him. And for the person that is upset about the attacks...what kind of drugs does he have you hooked on??

  9. By redhedgrl
    4/6/09 at 8 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    In its investigation of Dr. Kevin Buckwalter, the Sun asked experts to review the medical records of four of his patients, with the patients or his familys permission. In each case they concluded Buckwalters negligence had contributed to the patients death or overdose.

    Andrea Duncan was being prescribed more than 150 narcotic painkillers a month and as many as 300 Xanax pills at a time. At 2 mg each, the Xanax tablets were four to eight times a typical dose, experts said. She overdosed in August 2005 and died.

    Barbara Baile, 69, began seeing Buckwalter in April 2004 complaining of pain in her hips and back. Baile died in April, a victim of one of the side effects of narcotics severe constipation, which ruptured her bowels and caused her death by sepsis. Her death should have been prevented, experts said.

    Buckwalter prescribed Michael Hammond, a Las VegasLas Vegas (las va`gs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States.
    ..... Click the link for more information. business executive, more than 17,000 narcotic painkillers in

    3 years, until June 2008 even after Hammond had overdosed on the pills.

    Staci Voyda was an OxyContin addict who was 19 when she went to Buckwalter in February 2007 to get off drugs. Over an 11-day period this summer, Buckwalter prescribed her 310 pills of oxycodone, the primary ingredient in her drug of choice, OxyContin. Two weeks later, on Aug. 26, Voyda put a gun to her head and killed herself.

    what kind of a monster is he???????? how did these meds benefit any of his patients????
    i am shocked and sickened that this man is NOT in prison.

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