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twitterPRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS :
When drugs bring harm not healing
FOLDER: iSTOCKPHOTO.COM; BUCKWALTER: STEVE MARCUS / LAS VEGAS SUN; DUNCANS: COURTESY PHOTO; LAS VEGAS SUN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Andrea Duncan saw Dr. Kevin Buckwalter, left, for the last time on Sept. 16, 2005. He prescribed her — pictured with husband Clint Duncan — Xanax and narcotics. The next day, Clint, also a Buckwalter patient, died from an overdose on Xanax and narcotics. Four days later, Andrea Duncan overdosed on the same drugs. She died three weeks later.
Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Dr. Buckwalter, In His Own Words
A Deposition of Dr. Buckwalter.
Deposition
Sun Topics
How to make a complaint
- Patients concerned about reckless or illegal prescribing or use of narcotic painkillers or other drugs are required to file a complaint before regulators can investigate. The following agencies can take such complaints:
- • Nevada State Medical Examiners Board: (888) 890-8210, Ext. 229 or 241.
- • Nevada State Pharmacy Board, to complain about a pharmacy: (800) 364-2081.
- • Drug Enforcement Administration, 759-8110.
- • Nevada Public Safety Department, the state law enforcement agency primarily responsible for investigating the illegal use of prescription drugs: 759-8118.
Two days before their first wedding anniversary, Andrea Duncan woke up to find her husband, Clint, beside her, dead of a prescription drug overdose.
It was Sept. 17, 2005, and instead of celebrating their marriage, the 26-year-old was planning her husband’s funeral.
Despondent, she wrote in a note addressed to no one that she wanted to be with her husband, her soul mate, “in heaven.” Her parents believe she wanted to place it in his casket. But she didn’t live that long.
Four days after Clint’s death, Andrea also overdosed on prescription drugs. The coroner ruled the cause of death “undetermined,” not a suicide.
The parents of Andrea and Clint Duncan blame a Henderson physician for their deaths. Dr. Kevin Buckwalter prescribed both patients the narcotics and Xanax that snuffed out their lives.
The parents say he should have seen they were in no condition to be receiving the large quantities of drugs he prescribed. For example, Andrea Duncan was being prescribed more than 150 narcotic painkillers a month and up to 300 Xanax pills at a time. At 2 mg each, the Xanax tablets were four to eight times a typical dose, experts said.
In November 2005, Andrea’s parents, John and Maggie DeBaun of Henderson, filed a complaint against Buckwalter with the Nevada State Medical Examiners Board. The board investigated the case and told the parents there was no evidence of wrongdoing. To this day Buckwalter has a clean discipline record with the medical board.
But four experts who reviewed the medical records detailing the care Buckwalter provided Andrea Duncan said it’s stunning that the medical board did not discipline him. His records of treating her are thin and do not justify the large quantities of controlled substances he prescribed her, the experts said.
Furthermore, two years after Andrea Duncan’s death, Buckwalter gave a sworn deposition about the care he’d provided her. In his own words, under oath, he described the treatment. According to experts who reviewed his testimony, that treatment, as he described it, was incompetent.
Dr. David Kloth, a Connecticut specialist and a past president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, said Buckwalter was culpable in Andrea Duncan’s death.
“He basically gave her the weapons to kill herself,” Kloth said.
But the medical board did not discipline Buckwalter. Such action might have prevented what happened next.
Two more Buckwalter patients died in 2008. Experts who reviewed their cases said Buckwalter’s substandard care contributed to their deaths.
•••
Dr. Kevin Buckwalter is a significant contributor to what the Sun has identified as Nevada’s prescription narcotics crisis. A Sun analysis in July showed Nevadans consume more hydrocodone per capita than residents of any other state, and rank fourth highest in the consumption of the narcotics morphine, methadone and oxycodone, the primary ingredient in the drug OxyContin.
Experts say one reason Nevadans consume so many narcotics is that some doctors do not know how to prescribe them. Buckwalter is a prime example, according to four pain specialists who reviewed records for four of his patients at the Sun’s request. Kloth and Dr. Andrea Trescot are nationally known experts on the proper use of narcotic medications. Two Las Vegas pain specialists also reviewed the cases, but would comment only on the condition that their names not be used.
The Nevada Medical Examiners Board is again investigating Buckwalter’s prescribing practices, the Sun has learned, even as he continues to see patients in his clinic at a Henderson office park.
The Sun gave Buckwalter the names of the patients in this story and copies of their medical records, and told him the allegations the story would contain, including the observations and conclusions of the four medical doctors reviewing the cases. He would not comment.
Buckwalter went to medical school at Ross University in the West Indies and was licensed to practice in Nevada in 1997. On Sept. 16, the Sun reported that Buckwalter, a pediatrician and family doctor, had prescribed one of his patients more than 17,000 narcotic painkillers in 3 1/2 years, even after the man had overdosed on the pills.
Buckwalter’s name is known to regulators and doctors in Las Vegas. Members of the Nevada Pharmacy Board, local pharmacists, law enforcement agents and pain specialists were aware that serious questions have been raised about the way he prescribes narcotics.
Since the Sun’s September report, 15 more Buckwalter patients or their next of kin have contacted the newspaper to complain about him. Many of them have filed complaints with the medical board and other regulators.
Some patients or their families provided copies of medical records that detail the care Buckwalter provided. For this story, the Sun has examined three of those cases after getting family permission.
In addition to Andrea Duncan, the Sun investigated the care that Buckwalter provided to Staci Voyda and Barbara Baile.
Voyda was an OxyContin addict who was 19 when she went to Buckwalter in February 2007 to get off drugs. Voyda’s journal shows that she was obsessed with narcotics and ashamed of her inability to stop taking the drugs.
The doctor prescribed her large doses of Xanax and methadone, a potent drug that can help addicts stop taking other narcotics. When Voyda overdosed on methadone, Buckwalter stopped prescribing it to her. For the next year he prescribed her Xanax and hydrocodone, a potent narcotic. Then, over an 11-day period this summer, Buckwalter ramped up her narcotics prescriptions, giving 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.
The four experts who reviewed the records of Voyda’s treatment by Buckwalter said the doctor was grossly negligent to prescribe her narcotics when there was clear evidence of drug abuse.
“When you have a patient with an overdose and give them the same medicines again, that’s not conscionable,” said Trescot, a Florida pain specialist who wrote a guide for prescribing opiates for the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. “At the very least he needs to have his license pulled now.”
Barbara Baile, 69, began seeing Buckwalter in April 2004 complaining of pain in her hips and back.
In Baile’s medical file, he detailed neither her medical history nor a treatment plan, nor did he list the drugs he was prescribing her or their effectiveness.
Baile died in April, a victim of one of the side effects of narcotics — severe constipation. Her death should have been prevented, experts said. Doctors who prescribe narcotics should know they can turn a person’s stool rock hard, blocking the bowels.
Barbara Baile’s husband of 50 years, Don Baile, sat in on every appointment she had with Buckwalter. He says his wife complained of constant constipation but the doctor never explained that the narcotics he was prescribing could cause the problem. Don Baile does not recall Buckwalter’s ever performing a physical examination of his wife. He says Buckwalter’s only action was writing on his prescription pad.
In February, having gone more than three weeks without a movement, her bowels ruptured. The damage was irreparable and after three months of agony she died of sepsis.
Buckwalter’s records don’t reflect that Barbara Baile was constipated. The experts said that any doctor should have known to manually remove Baile’s blockage or prescribe medications to clear out her system. Don Baile says Buckwalter only mentioned over-the-counter remedies.
Failure to warn a patient that narcotics can cause constipation and failure to provide a remedy for the problem constitute malpractice, the experts said.
In all three cases, the Sun’s experts said the care Buckwalter provided, as detailed in the medical records, was so poor it may have constituted medical malpractice. Each expert said it is imperative that the medical board investigate Buckwalter. Two of them said they do not think he is qualified to practice medicine, and at the very least should lose his license to prescribe controlled substances. After reviewing records, one of the experts called the Drug Enforcement Administration to complain about Buckwalter.
•••
By several measures, including Buckwalter’s own testimony in the Andrea Duncan deposition, his care does not appear to meet the standard expected of physicians who treat pain. Guidelines by the Federation of State Medical Boards, which have been adopted in Nevada, require:
• A medical history and physical examination be obtained, evaluated and documented in a patient’s medical record.
• A written treatment plan for pain management that measures success.
• Special attention to patients at risk of drug abuse.
• Accurate and complete medical records, including the medical history, physical examinations, treatments and treatment objectives and medications.
In each case, the experts said of the four cases they reviewed, the records do not meet the standards required in Nevada.
The allegedly poor level of care offered by Buckwalter may violate the criminal standards outlined in Nevada law. Officials from the Nevada attorney general’s office would not comment on Buckwalter, but said it is a felony if controlled substances are not prescribed for a “legitimate medical purpose” and in the “usual course” of a doctor’s professional practice.
That could be the case, according to officials from the attorney general’s office, if a family doctor is prescribing too many narcotics without medical justification.
Another state law says a doctor is criminally negligent if he acts recklessly, departs from what a prudent person would do in a similar situation and makes decisions for which the consequences could be reasonably foreseen and where the danger to human life was the probable result of the negligent act.
In cases where a criminally negligent act results in death, the minimum sentence under the law is a year in state prison.
Former Buckwalter employees — two medical assistants and a clerk — described him as a kindhearted doctor. But they all quit, they said, because they disagreed with the way he practiced medicine. They said he avoided confrontation by prescribing the kinds of drugs his patients sought, even though he knew that some patients were addicted and overdosing. One medical assistant said she discussed the overdoses with him and urged him to stop prescribing to addicts.
“I like Dr. Buckwalter as a person, but as an M.D. I think he’s unethical,” the former medical assistant said. “What he does is utterly morally wrong.”
One office worker said that about half of his 80 patients a day — about two and a half times the number most family doctors would see in a day — were coming only for prescription refills.
Buckwalter balked at cutting off patients, even when it was clear they were abusing the drugs or selling them to addicts, a medical assistant told the Sun.
“He said, ‘I’m here to help people, I’m a doctor. I don’t want people in pain,’ ” the medical assistant recalled.
So many drug addicts went to Buckwalter for their fixes that the office was a dangerous place to work, the former employees said. Henderson Police records show two calls for service because of belligerent patients in 2007. The conflicts would occur because patients would show up without an appointment demanding prescriptions, the former employees said.
In one instance, a patient pulled a gun and poked it in an employee’s ribs, demanding to see Buckwalter. The patient, identified in a Henderson Police report as Henry Tucker, then barged into the back of the office, ordering Buckwalter to write him more prescriptions. He was arrested outside the office, pleaded guilty to two felonies in connection with the incident and is serving 18 to 48 months in prison.
The former employees said they don’t think Buckwalter was motivated by money, though if he saw 80 patients a day, many of them paying $90 a visit in cash, he would be bringing in more than twice the reimbursements of his peers. Many of his patients flew in from out of state to get prescriptions, the clerk said. In other cases, the employees said, Buckwalter would mail prescriptions for narcotics to patients without examining them.
When new patients came into the practice, Buckwalter did not ask for X-rays or body scans to document their pain, the former employees said. In fact, many patients complained that the doctor never examined them, the employees said. Medical records obtained by the Sun and interviews with patients and their families confirm that he often did not get records or conduct physical exams.
“I don’t think he actually understood the concept of what he was doing,” another medical assistant said. “In his ... mind he was helping. And by helping he gave the patients what they asked for, whether they needed it or not.”
The employees said local pharmacists voiced alarm at the volume of some of his prescriptions. One medical assistant said complaints were made verbally to employees at the Nevada Pharmacy Board and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the clerk said the Nevada Medical Examiners Board came at least once in 2007 to pull patient files.
But no regulators ever took any action to protect patients, the employees said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the medical board declined to comment for this story.
•••
Andrea Duncan’s parents, John and Maggie DeBaun, show a photo of Andrea being swept off her feet by Clint Duncan on their wedding day. “They were such a darling couple, so cute, so in love,” Maggie DeBaun said, smiling.
The marriage to Clint had been a bright spot for Andrea, who suffered a serious brain injury in a September 2000 traffic collision with a drunken driver.
Among other problems, the injury left her susceptible to panic attacks and clouded judgment. She regressed from a confident young woman to being as vulnerable as a child, her parents recall.
Andrea and Clint met online and the DeBauns liked him right away. Clint, clean-cut and polite, worked hard as a bartender’s assistant at a local casino and as a DJ, spinning records.
Each complained of back pain — Clint from his job carrying heavy bottles, and Andrea from her accident.
On Nov. 22, 2004, she made her first visit to Buckwalter.
Buckwalter would not discuss Duncan with the Sun, but in a sworn deposition on Feb. 8, 2007, he described her treatment. (Buckwalter was deposed on Duncan’s behalf in a lawsuit the family filed against the nightclub that served alcohol to the drunken driver who caused her accident. A complete transcript and an edited video of the deposition is available on the Sun’s Web site, www.lasvegassun.com.)
In the deposition, Buckwalter says that on Duncan’s first visit, he did not examine her — which medical experts say is a fundamental requirement of such a patient visit.
Buckwalter said he “did not have time.”
Yet, on the initial visit, Buckwalter prescribed Duncan 150 tablets of the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and 150 pills of the narcotic painkiller hydrocodone, commonly known as Vicodin or Lortab.
Another fundamental tenet of treating pain is verification of patients’ medical history through records from other doctors, tests and physical examinations. Buckwalter said in his deposition that he never ordered records from any other doctors who had treated Duncan and that he “did not think it was necessary” to verify Duncan’s medical history.
Over the next 10 months, he prescribed her higher quantities of pills.
The DeBauns noticed the couple were taking a large amount of medications and did not think that Andrea, with her brain injury, was capable of making the right judgment about which drugs to take. But Andrea assured her parents that she was in good hands with Buckwalter: “I’m in a lot of pain, so my family doctor is prescribing a lot of medication,” they recall her saying.
At the time of their overdoses, the couple were living in the home of Clint Duncan’s mother, Barbara Rich. In hindsight, Rich suspects that both were addicted to the prescription drugs. They sometimes slept most of the day, and Clint would stagger around the house, she said.
Buckwalter prescribed Andrea Duncan hundreds of 2 mg Xanax pills, each many times a typical dose. He said in his deposition that he prescribed her large quantities of pills “because she asked for it.”
A Las Vegas pain specialist, who would speak only on the condition of anonymity, said it seemed clear that Buckwalter was prescribing whatever pain medicines his patients wanted.
“The lack of diagnoses, lack of records, lack of opioid agreements and lack of counseling are all problems,” the doctor told the Sun.
In his deposition, Buckwalter said he does not keep a record of the type or quantity of drugs he prescribes to a patient, “because I usually have a routine of the amount of medications that I write.”
Medical care should be unique to individual patients and there should always be a detailed log of medications, so the doctor can track their effectiveness, said the doctors who reviewed the case at the Sun’s request.
In some instances, Buckwalter made statements that were factually wrong. He says the drug Ultram is an anti-inflammatory. It is not. It’s a narcotic. And he says he never prescribed Duncan morphine, even though her parents still have the bottle of morphine that he prescribed to her, and pharmacy records prove he prescribed her the pills.
Sept. 16, 2005, was the last time Clint and Andrea Duncan saw Buckwalter. He prescribed Andrea 300 doses of Xanax and 90 of morphine, a potent narcotic.
The next day Clint Duncan overdosed on Xanax and narcotics, according to his death certificate. His mother said he was prescribed the drugs by Buckwalter.
Four days later Andrea Duncan overdosed on Xanax and narcotics. She went into a coma and died three weeks later.
Clint Duncan’s mother, Barbara Rich, holds Buckwalter responsible for the deaths of her son and daughter-in-law.
“Dr. Buckwalter has to have known,” Rich said. “The coroner found pills all over the room. He poured down the garbage disposal hundreds and hundreds of pills.”
For Maggie DeBaun, the death of her only child, Andrea, means the end of the family line. “I have my past, but I have no future anymore,” DeBaun said. “It’s just so heartbreaking as a parent. It’s just not the way it’s supposed to be.”
In May, John DeBaun wrote to the medical board again, urging it to reopen the case and look at the deposition that, he says, betrays the doctor’s incompetence and his lie about not prescribing Andrea Duncan morphine.
“I do not want any monetary gain from him, no amount of money could repair the loss that my wife and I have suffered,” John DeBaun wrote to the medical board investigator. “I just want him stopped before more people suffer from his way of prescribing medicine.”
Investigators were not interested in seeing the deposition, but told DeBaun they are pursuing another investigation of Buckwalter.
Discussion: 55 comments so far…
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What a disgusting doctor. My niece went for help to a professional man with a degree , he made her worse . Until the unthinkable happened .What a beautiful young girl . She was only 19 when she asked him for help , hiding her problem from the family saying she had the flu & was seeing this doctor. STOP !
Again, a one-sided story. Marshall Allen mentions the people who have contacted him regarding negative experiences with Dr. Buckwalter but refuses to share the stories on all of the people who have contacted him regarding the positive experiences with Dr. Buckwalter.
I see a 4 sided story of people that died . Explain that anthemmcc ? I am missing the positive side of this story. If this doctor's license were taken away in 2007, Staci would be alive .Marshall Allen is trying to help unlike you !!!
See Related stories :
Her outlook darkened as her addiction deepened, journal details . Its about Staci Voyda
I am Andrea Duncans's father, and anthemccresident, you are an idiot!!! This doctor is a killer, he has no clue what he is doing, listen to the deposition. I would like to kick your ass. What do you not get, and this thing about goverment controlling our lives, stop being a republican and get with the fact of the matter. We need govt control when it comes to prescription drugs, they do not regulate as they should. Again I say anyone who thinks he is a good doctor, is afraid of their drug dealer being put away. You are a moron.
I agree John the deposition was mind boggling. How in the world was he cleared of these charges?
I am shocked at the court system. Did it ever get to a trial , or did a judge rule in his favor? I am sorry for your loss
Dr Stephen Holper is another Doctor who needs to be banned and put into prison for his actions. So far 2 people have died from overdose and he still continues to pass out prescriptions like it's candy. He has a nickname out on the streets as the candy man.
The fact that it has gotten to this point is a sad commentary on our regulatory agencies. Shame on all involved on your lack of concern for whatever reason you tell yourself. It's time for you to end all of the incompetence and step up to the plate and do the right thing! The hoops that have to be jumped through to end this obvious wrong should not be so plentiful.If this man can continue to practice medicine I hope you all remove the mirrors you were once able to look in!!
Hey anthemresident, Hitler helped "some Germans" did they forget to tell that part in history. I second John, you are an idiot...
No we do not need more government control over prescription drugs. We already have that, and it doesn't work. We have laws that restrict who can prescribe drugs and that doesn't work.
All these laws do is raise the cost of medical care, they do NOT save lives.
No one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana, which for some people, helps with pain, anxiety, chemothearapy, HIV, bipolar disorder, yet people are in prison for this while this scum doctor is walking around free. Let a pot smoker out of jail to make room for this a hole...
"He basically gave her the weapons to kill herself," Oh sweet Jesus, what, did he force them to take those pills? These people took their own lives, and would have probably found other means to do so even if the doctor hadn't prescribed the medication. What do you people propose we should do? Should we round up all the gun shop owners and throw them into jail because they surely contributed to the deaths of thousands of people? Wake up people! Take responsibility of your own lives.
to nevadaresident, She took the drugs as PRESCRIBED!!! Andrea was in pain from a car accident she was in. She was not suicidal, No one is saying round up all doctors, just put this one behind bars, " Oh sweet Jesus " you and anthemcc should get together and discuss how right you think you are.My daughter trusted this doctor to do the right thing, he failed her big time. You are a moron also, you self rightous idiot.
John, I understand that losing a loved one is one of the most difficult obstacles every human must eventually overcome in life. I pray that the Lord above gives you and your family the strength to get through these difficult times.
If what you say is true, the pharmacist is just as much to blame as the physician since he is the last line of defense when it comes to these errors. Throw him behind bars as well.
I think[?] that some of the responses on this story are un-nessary ..such as name calling.
While some drs. in the vally may well be abusing their position this article is painting the whole group with the same brush.
Another point is that we eventually are responsible for our actions and reading and understanding all the information on any prescription should be a priority before using them.
Oxycotin and hydrocodone are drugs that have a well documented history so educated adults should be aware of the potential issues with the use of them.
I have Hydrocodone prescribed for severe arthritis and [at my use rate] can attest to its effectiveness ... as in able to function in a limited capacity or racked with pain...
By all means .. control the distributers but be aware of the benefits and...
Stop the unproductive name calling.
This story is about 1 doctor . Really ! Are drug addicts responsible for their prescriptions they receive from "Buckwalter telling them its ok to mix all these opiates together". I wouldn't call a 19 year old opiate addicted patient responsible. That blame goes to the doctor to explain WHY he would give these highly addictive drugs to a 19 year old. She went for help. She begged to please help her then overdosed , and then there were more drugs.I wonder if he passes out lollipops ? 18 months is along time to keep on giving the prescriptions out.
I agree about the name calling being unnecessary. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and shouldn't have to accept abuse for it. After reading all the comments, how can you say there is only one person to blame? Everyone involved is somewhat responsible, yes the doctor did prescribe the medications, but the pharmacist dispensed the medications, and I'm pretty sure they weren't there forcing the pills down their throats. The families are not all innocent either. Staci may have seemed like the happiest girl, but did you read the excerpts? She didn't sound that happy, she sounded like a girl who was very depressed. And do you blame the boyfriend, whose gun she used? I am truly sorry for your loss, but you have to factor in all parts of the equation....
I know of three people who went frequently to this Dr just to get meds to sell. I have notified authorities and other people of importance and still nothing has been done. The people who are defending him are the dealers, why else would you like a Dr like this? And yes maybe the pharmacist should go down with him. The three people who I mention above used the same place to get it filled.
I call him the dr of death!!! He almost killed me 2. He gave me anything I asked for. It started as lortab10 then oxycodone 30mg and he writes prescript for the highest dose and amount. He had me on 4 pills that were counteracting eachother. I went to him for 2 1/2 yrs and he would not say no. The pharmacy told me 2 pills he gave me would make me sick. they did. When I came to crossroad and had to quit my mom called his office and they hung up on her and she called bk and they wouldnt answer. So he doesnt care. But I care what happened to me and others. Ive just reported him myself.
I told him I was tired so he put me on adderall 30 mg 3xs a day along with oxycodone 30mg 5-8 days and next thing you know I lost 20 lbs and was deathly ill. I was referred to him by someone and when you get in the room the nurses aide tells you hes a good dr and will give you anything you want. But adderall is for ppl w ADD and it gives you insomnia so you have to take xanax or you cant sleep. I know someone who said they went to him and sold pills. But usually most turn into addicts after being in his care
Re: Lola
I agree the pharmacies are also to blame. As far as Staci being depressed , why didn't Buckwalter give her an Anti-depressant ? Instead he gave her actually the opposite . As far as the gun we don't know where it came from it was at a location of the accident the police won't reveal the owner they told me it none of my business, maybe it came from the doctor. It might as well. So Lola please don't critic my family , we knew nothing of this journal ,until after her death . She hid it along with her addiction. So please help if you have any compassion , she was my niece and I miss her.If this were your family I would certainly try to help you.
He was our family doctor and we changed last year due to the fact that all he wanted to do was prescribe medications. When we called our insurance company to change providers we told them the reason why and they had mentioned that they had many complaints about him recently. Hopefully he won't be practicing much longer!
I am the person who marshall wrote about in his initial story about Dr. Buckwalter in Spetember. Those of you making comments about drug addicts really do not know what you are saying. I was a very succesful executive in las Vegas and went to Dr. Buckwalter with some neck pain. I took what he prescribed thinking that he is the professional and knows what he is doing. Trust me, your thought process is not the same after taking some of the pills he prescribed. I am not hear to blame anyone, only to shine a light on Dr. Buckwalter and to hopefully help some people who have had the misfortune of being one of his patients like Jondelv. Sorry it came too late for you but hopefully it will help others.
And as for anthemccresident, you are truly clueless. I know of dozens of other people that were just like me, local executives or even housewives that could have been your neighbor or even family member who had an ache or pain and saw Dr. Buckwalter. He prescribed them something that did nothing but mask the true pain. Then once you realize what you have gotten yourself into it's too late.
If I have helped just one person by working with Marshall on my story then I did what I intended.
Re: Lola and Northsider
Pharmacies are not to blame. They dont have any control what the doctor give to the patient. If the doctor write they fill it. If the pharmacist refuses to fill the rx they just go to another pharmacy. So it all falls on Dr. Buckwalter he shouldn't be prescribing so many narcotics to patients. All the pharmacy can do is refuse to fill it and then the patient moves on to the next pharmacy.
Johndelv, you need to chillax!
You may have a point about the pharmacies, but the same is true for the doctor. If this particular doctor didn't write the rx, then the next one would have. Dr. Buckwalter is not the only "physician" around the valley who writes for narcotics, and unfortunately people like Staci, or the Duncan couple find them. I have a very good friend who was seeing a doctor in Las Vegas and he would prescribe her large quantities of Lortabs and Xanax. It's not a pretty sight to see your friends and family all messed up. My friend was lucky though, she has been clean now for over a year. So it's not just one doctor that's the problem, it's just that in these particular cases, someone took a stand and pushed the issue. Maybe if patients of the other doctors did the same, the prescription addiction problem wouldn't be so out of control.
Thanks Lola :
I knew you would understand.I really can't believe it has gotten so out of hand . Maybe only pain management doctors should be able to write a narcotics script. Because a primary care doctor does not seem to be able to handle these patients. I have not heard of any deaths while people were under the care of a pain management doctor,beacuse they monitor the pain , they see right through the addiction, and send people to a detox center.If all pharmacies refused to fill scripts written so quickly , maybe they could turn the doctor in? Please help and write letters to appropiate authorities to stop ALL doctors. No one needs to plan a young persons funeral.
I don't think anyone gets the big picture about this dr. So staci was abusing drugs and went for help and made a serious miscalculation going to Dr. Buckwalter. What about Barbara Baile who went to the dr. not seeking drugs but for pain in her hip and back. Dr. Buckwalter turned her into an addict and eventually killing her. A dr who's so quick with the prescription pad can't give this woman a prescription for laxative????? Please!!! This woman was 69 years old, not to many addicts start seeking drugs at 69. This shows the power and control of these drugs and the incompetence of this dr.
to TginVegas
It is hard to "chill" when some people write some of the things they do about loved ones. My 2 kids were not addicted when they started going to this doctor, they did not shop for drugs, they took them as prescribed, let something like this happen in your family and see how you react. I apoligize to no one for what I have posted. It is the truth.
Staci went to the Dr. for HELP. She chose him at random a local doctor in Henderson close to home. She didn't go looking for more drugs she wanted to be helped by a professional . His record keeping is that of a 2 year old. An over abundant amount of drugs given to a 19 year old. He has given his peers a bad name . These stories are so sad lives were lost under his care. His license should have been suspended after Andrea's treatment.Her parents not only watched her grieve over her husband, but they also had to bury their only daughter.Poor Barbara also lost her life . We are talking about death here . He should have been helping our families instead he destroyed every morning afternoon and night we wake .Not even an apology. When my dog passed away the Vet sent me a card expressing sorrow. No Dr. Buckwalter is never wrong , Oh but I think he will be seeing his last patient soon. He can't continue at this pace. Rest in Peace Staci Love you Baby
Only board certified pain managment doctors should prescribe these drugs! Any long term use of such meds should not be written by a family doctor. Its stories like this that make my life as a caregiver to my spouse increasingly difficult. I too was a youg bride and at the age of 24, my husband was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder that causes debilitating "intractable" pain 24/7 ( meaning there is no cure, he will always be in pain ) He is opiod tolerent and needs these drugs to cope with the simplest of daily activities that healthy people take for granted. ( eating, brushing teeth, going out doors on a breezy day) Fast forward its now been 23 years and everyday i watch him suffer in constant pain. Allthough these meds will never take the pain away, it is unfortunately are only way of getting through a day. A pain management doctor would give you a psycholgical examination to try and rule out potential abuse, you must sign a narcotic contract with them stating you understand the side effects of such drugs, its potential cause for abuse ect.. You must state your pharmacy and agree to fill only at that pharmacy as one way of potential abuse to be flagged. Also, ALL care givers and close family members should be brought in and made aware of the risk and side effects of these drugs and what to look for. After all these drugs are MADE to alter the mind and in the case of someone with a brain injury, they should have never been left to asume they could take responsibilty for their own care. That doctor should not be practicing medicine and my heart goes out to those of you that lost loved ones. Its just sad that those who truly need these meds are sufferring because of the bad publicity of those who fell into the wrong hands.
Not naming a certain pharmacy located in Henderson because I filed a complaint last month which has gone unanswered . I know for a fact that ( after obtaining Staci's records after her death) In 25 days one pharmacy sold her 730 pills. 180 Hydrocodene 240 generic Xanax & 310 Oxycodene. What the heck were the pharmacists thinking ? Again some are good and some are so stupid. You are giving others a bad reputation.Its all about the all-mighty dollar the pharmacy didn't want to lose her business . Well guess what Pharmacy I will be going after your license.You did not have to fill these and you know it. What girl weighing 110 pounds needs 29.2 pills a day. think about it pharmacists.
PARENTS:
If you suspect your child is abusing drugs, because of the privacy act. They have to call themselves but you can stand right there with them. Call the State of Nevadas -Prescription Monitoring Program. Ask for a Patient Drug Utilization form it will have every narcotic prescribed to your child for the last 10 years . They will mail you a sheet with all info on it . The prescribing doctor-pharmacy-date-script#-amount-days until next refill-drug- and mg.If you care save your child or someone you care about
Notrhsider do you think you know everything? You sure talk like it. I bet anything your a pill popper yourself.
Comment removed by staff.
cforza :
You are so correct when you say only pain management doctors should prescribe narcotics. I am sorry for your husband but commend you on your hard work and never giving up hope. Its people like you that make this world a happy place. As far as "dizzle" is concerned why the heck even waste space with your idiotic comments . That was uncalled for . Say something about the article or don't speak.
You cant blame the pharmacys if the person is going to multi pharmacys and different companys. We cant keep track of that. And were does the family come in and take responsiblity for not noticing that something was wrong. You expect a pharmicist to notice. We dont know the patient history like the doctors do. So we dont know if there is problems or abuse. When we see problems we call the doctors and let them know. we do what we can and what we are allowed but we are limited also.
Dear Dizzle,
It is quite obvious to any one with a brain, that Northsider is not trying to be a know it all, but trying to warn people about the dangers of prescription drugs and doctors who are not qualified to dispense these drugs. She is trying to make sure that the tragedy that her and her family have gone through does not happen to anyone else's family. She is trying give you the warning signs that they experienced so you don't ignore them if you see them in one of your loved ones and you can do something to save your family members before it is too late. She's trying to stop an incompetent doctor before another patient who puts their trust in him dies.
You obviously don't have the intelligence to understand that.
Let me tell you something else you little cretin. I sense that you have some sort of severe mental problem, you really should seek help. Let me recommend a doctor for you. His name is "Dr. Buckwalter". Maybe you heard of him. That's "Dr. Buckwalter." Good luck to you and yours.
dittzle, when something as tragic as this happens to a loved one, you do become an expert. You study and read everything you get your hands absorbing all the info. Hopefully you never have to become a quick study in anything of this nature, until then stick to the comics!!
kelpatmoc:
If you are going to same pharmacy you sure can blame that pharmacy.They can keep track of there dispensing of narcotics in 25 days = 730 pills come on. Some pharmacists do notice and refuse to fill. Thank You to those pharmacies. The patient walks out and moves on. You know Buckwalter doesn't even know his patients , he writes nothing down.If the patient is going to multi-pharmacies no there is nothing you can do.Thats why we need a mandatory database computer for all narcotics given out in the USA. I would like the drug companies to pay for this. A pharmacist job has changed so much. With the rising use of narcotics in your area , you are at risk , like a bartender serving a drink to an intoxicated person. Same applies to the addict. As far as the family goes , when your daughter moves out at the age of 19 (according to HIPPA laws) she is an adult. We can't even call the doctor to ask what time her appt. is its private .We did not know she was obtaining drugs until the overdose . She swore it was a one time thing " I was at a party and I wanted to try some I swear Mom never again" She lied . After that continued to see Buckwalter telling us when we saw her she had the flu & mono (thats what the doctor told her) You know her mom went to the pharmacy and asked questions , they told her it was none of moms business because Staci was over the age of 18. Asking Staci again she said she was obtaining antibiotic for her infection. When your daughter MOVES OUT and you see her once a week because we all work crazy hours , she is not doing drugs on those days . She still has mono and is tired you know it lasts months ? They say . We had no idea!!!!!
I've called the nevada dept of public safety three times over the last three weeks and was promised a call back by their "always absent" investigators. I have recieved ZERO phone calls. I understand now why lawyers are fifty pages thick in the phonebook. When we have to obtain legal counsel just to have our voices heard, I think you can say the system does not work.
I am the mother of Clint Duncan and I need to add some information to this story. For three years I have tried to not place blame on anyone for what happened to my beloved Clint and Andrea. However, Dr. Buckwalter has not changed his tactics in spite of knowing he was instrumental in causing their deaths. I was asked by many people if I was going to take legal action and I said then I would not. There had been four young people die in my family - three of them in 2005. I was numb with pain. I wanted to believe any good human being would feel remorse for involvement in the deaths of others. That is unless you are either a sociopath or a doctor-of-death. There are such people.
It isn't as simple as to blame the pharmacy either. I know from personal experience that the local pharmacy told Clint and Andrea they were requesting refills too soon but Dr. Buckwalter called the pharmacist and said "I am the doctor, give them the medication". Does a pharmacist trump a doctor? I don't think so...
Now that I know Dr. Buckwalter hasn't changed what he was doing and is not abiding by the"first do no harm" oath taken by physicians, I am prepared to fight to help those who are yet to be trapped by the web of deceit and greed of this doctor.
Attorney Ed Bernstein is my attorney and will be working to find some justice. I hope anyone who has been harmed or who has lost loved ones via this doctor, please call Mr. Bernstein. There is power in numbers.
My God grant all of you wisdom in making the right decision regarding this matter. There are many future VICTIMS out there who may have a life saved by our intervention.
Barbara
I am sorry for your loss and I do blame Dr. Buckwalter. And there is a way to see if a patient is going to multi pharmacys and multi doctors but when we call the doctors and tell them they say just give the patient the meds. So in that case we as a pharmacy dont fill it and refuse and give the rx back. But since the doctor says give it to them they just to to another pharmacy that dont check that list to see if they have a problem and they get it there. This all falls on the doctors not the pharmacys. I am sorry for all the familys the have lost loved ones cause of all of this but you cant blame the pharmacys for doing there job. Blame the doctor who i know for a fact say just give it to them when we call and say there is a problem. I have tried to help people. And I have told people to be careful taking these type of meds but when the doctors keep giving it to them what can I do.
dozer,
Thank you! I dont get acknowledged often for being a caregiver, you'll never know how that will help me get thru the day.
Northsider, I know you're hurting and you want to blame everyone involved, but i dont feel you should blame the pharmacist. They are NOT doctors. They do not have a person's full medical history in front of them. I agree, there SHOULD have been an alert on that amount of drugs in one month, however, that is not an unusual amount to an "opiate tolerent" person with a legitimate condition like my husband. This time last year I had my husband in the emergency room at least a 1/2 dozen times. He had a severe flare up in his condition and his current meds were no longer working. Therefore it was trial and error changing his meds around searching for the right combination. I was at the pharmacy nurmerous times in one month, and over all, I had alot of pills filled for him and this was all legitimate. I had a run in with the pharmasist who was playing god and refused to fill one prescription causing a scene in front of everyone making me feel like an addict myself trying to pull something. Now he had no idea that my children and me had been up for three days straight now watching their father SCREAM in pain! Nor did he know that I had been dealing with this awful disease for the past 20 years and that my husband has had 11 surgeries including 4 brain surgeries to try and ease his pain. My point is he should not have assumed anything Period! In the end I was forced to go to another pharmacy vilating my husbands contract because this pharmacist was trying to play god. Now I agree, he should have been concerned and certain procedure need to be in order but ultimately his responsibility should end there. Bottom line, Pain meds should be prescribed by pain management doctors.
Oh, and as far as parents noticing anything, it would be difficult to spot if you were not around her all the time. Plus a denial mechanism kicks in in situations like these. Trust me, been there done that.
cforza:
You are so correct.Until it happens to you, others will never know your pain .
Dear Dizzle,
I know northsider personally, not a pill popper first of all. Do you have children? If not you might be suprised to know, they are good at hiding things they do not want you to know. Once addicted to drugs, your mind is not functioning as it should. The drugs that this girl was given were a recipe for suicide. What doctor perscibes 310 oxy's in 11 days. Did you watch the deposition. He does not even examine his patients before prescribing. He was collecting the cash.
He needs to lose his liscense and go to jail. Teenagers are now having pill parties called pharming parties, I am aware of them so I would anyone prescribing is also aware. Wouldn't find it strange if a patient asks for 310 oxys in 11 days. My daughter used ritilan as a child. Our perscriptions were monitored closely, because of the potential abuse. "Dr Buckwalter obviously did not pay attention or doesn't care.
The loss of anyone to a drug overdose is tragic. In the Las Vegas valley, there are a handful of factors that contribute to such a tragic event. It first starts with doctors. Most medical doctors participate in only a week of substance abuse/addiction training while in medical school. It is docs responsibility to educate themselves on the signs and symptoms of addiction and drug seeking behavior. It is easy to spot once you have the knowledge. What also contributes to the problem of rx narcotic use in Vegas is a poor or non existant monitoring system. At one time, there was a "pre-criminal intervention officer" who worked with the NV State Board of Pharmacy. This individuals role was to deal with those who are seeing multiple doctors, forging rx and so on. This position no longer exists do to a loss of grant money. Today, there is really nothing in place. Metro will not get involved unless there is a clear cut case of trafficing. The other option is the docs are notified. If the docs are aware but still giving out meds...shame on them. If you suspect, even just a small suspicion, your son or daughter is abusing rx meds, talk to them and seek help. This problem is not just one docs fault, but a failing of multiple entities to catch those at risk. If your family member is taking narcotic meds, stay informed on what they are taking. Always get a second opinion and try non-narcotic medication options. It can mean the difference between life and death. If you have a family member that is dependent on similiar drugs that killed Clint and Andrea get them evaluated. Educate yourself on the side effect and withdrawl symptoms. Withdrawl from Xanax can be deadly. Communication is the key!
First, my deepest condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones. Second, i am a current patient of Dr. Buckwalter, and i have been seeing him for 5 yrs. I've been on prescribed meds for pain in my back and feet that was job and accident related. Dr. buckwalter has had xrays taken and has ordered bloodwork performed, he has required me to come in for regular checkups every 6 months. If i dont keep my appt. for checkup i dont get my prescription refilled. I am in great health and am grateful to Dr. Buckwalter for this reason. Any medication that is abused is harmful, but we must educate ourselves on any drugs we are taking. In this age of information in which we live in it is irresponsible for people not to do research.
My heart goes out to other families that too have lost their loved ones...I too lost someone. My husband and I were both patients of Dr. Buckwalter's. I am not going to say that it was all the doc's fault, we are(were) grown ups, made our own decisions, but still...One week after Staci Voyda's death, my 29 year old husband took a gun to his head and took his own life in front of me and his 2 year old daughter. 2 weeks later I tried to overdose on pills and take my own life as well. Dr. Buckwalter is not an awful man, but he must be made aware of what he is doing. This must stop. I have so many friends that go to him, addicted to same combination of pills. People are selling pills, all working at the same casino...if he doesn't stop soon, this will keep getting sooo much worse.
kitto:
So sorry for your loss. What kind of pain were you guys in? Why does he give out so many pills?
Do you believe you and your husband should have been given the opportunity to seek alternative care? I hope you will get help. So you can raise your daughter the right way she & you also have a long future. This doctor is a monster. This is #FIVE that have died . Too many pills , what happened to alternative medicine? People be safe.
I am soo glad that this investigation is showing what kind of negligent doctor he is. I am sorry for those of you with what you have lost. My brother was a patient of his, and when he overdosed, I filed a complaint. This doctor is ignorant and obviously has no clue as to what he is doing...
I have been seeing Dr Buckwalter about a year now. I went to him because he was referred to me. I had major crippling pain and numbness in my neck and arms for 10yrs. My first doctor I had described my numbness to said (without doing any testing) that it was carpal tunnel syndrom from waitressing for 10yrs, so I went with that. For the last 1 1/2yrs the pain really started (I have an extremely high tolerance to pain), I finally had health insurance again and went to see Dr Buckwalter. I told him about my symptoms he checked me out prescribed me Loratabs 10 and Soma's and sent me to a neurologist. The neurologist did and electroid test for carpal tunnel and guess what I didn't have it, then they sent me for an MRI on my neck and found out I have Stenosis (arthritis) in my spine and impingments and portrusions in my neck C2 - C5 or 6 which was causing the numbness in my arms, and the stenosis is causing the pain. They them sent me to a nurosurgeon who said its not bad enough YET to warrant surgery but will be eventually. The the day before Easter 2008 I had suffered a severe anxiety attack (I have always handled stress and bad things even as a kid the most horrible) that caused me to have a seizure which attacks my neck and jaw all the muscles lock up like a rock (I was going through a seperation from my husband at the time which we worked through), I had an appointment set with Dr Buckwalter that Monday and me and my husband told him about it. He prescribed me Zanax I asked for only the .5mg since I don't like to take pills, no problem. So this stuff about Dr Buckwalter over prescribing medication I think is wrong, I think its the patients who don't take their meds like they are suppose to (I know people like that). Now because people (patients) can't be responsible I have to go with out my Zanax until I can find another doctor (I have already had one seizure today because of this mess with Dr Buckwalter) Thank you to those involved for putting my life in danger. I am hoping that my pain management doctor that I will see on Monday can help me before I wind up in the hospital for stroking out.
Have a great day and be responsible for your own actions
Melissa
missa: The staggering amounts he RX is not WRONG. just because you didn't ASK for a butload of pills does not mean he does'nt over RX. this is not starbucks where you ask and recieve. C'mon the man's supposed to be healing not passing out candy to all
Thanks for the holidays without Staci. I hope your having a fine dinner , because mine sucks . Thank you dr. & family for nothing but ashes.
Such a good girl that wanted help she tried to get help she walked into the office of Dr Death that day .Now she she is dead & never again will I hear her sweet voice . Bring her back and all will be forgotten , please .