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LAS VEGAS SUN
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Sun Topics
Sun Archives
- Pharmacy board wins round in Supreme Court (9-15-2008)
- Narcotics case a first for Nevada (9-3-2008)
A Las Vegas man says his Henderson physician turned him into a drug addict and caused him to overdose by prescribing him as many as 1,170 narcotic painkillers in a single month.
The prescriptions by Dr. Kevin Buckwalter were so extreme, and the documentation so bad, that four pain management experts who examined the patient’s medical records at the Sun’s request say the overprescribing could constitute malpractice and violations of law.
Buckwalter’s prescribing habits have been the subject of at least one previous investigation by the Nevada Medical Examiners Board, according to medical board correspondence sent to the family of a different patient who filed a complaint against him. And he’s the subject of a current investigation by the board, according to correspondence by investigators.
The patient, Michael Hammond, a Las Vegas business executive, is not the only person to complain about Buckwalter.
The Sun has spoken with the families of two people, in addition to Hammond, who have overdosed while under Buckwalter’s care. Their claims are supported by medical records and death certificates.
The pain management doctors who analyzed Buckwalter’s care said there was no documented evidence to justify the amount of narcotic medicines Buckwalter prescribed to Hammond, based on their review of all of the patient’s records involving Buckwalter.
They all agreed that Buckwalter should be investigated.
“I’m not sure this guy belongs practicing medicine — and certainly not pain management — if this is representative of his care,” said Dr. David Kloth, a Connecticut specialist who is a past president of the American Society of Intervention Pain Physicians.
Kloth said the amount of painkillers prescribed for the patient might be appropriate if the patient were dying of cancer. But Hammond did not have cancer.
Hammond contacted the Sun after the paper published a series of stories highlighting Nevada’s high per capita rate of narcotics use.
The growing consumption is blamed in part on drug addicts who “doctor shop” — visit multiple physicians with complaints of pain to score drugs. But the medical community is concerned, too, about doctors who overprescribe narcotics. Medical schools do little to train doctors in prescribing narcotics, and many primary care physicians do not understand them, experts said.
To combat drug abuse, the Nevada Pharmacy Board maintains a database detailing every prescription in the state for certain controlled substances. The database is intended to flag doctor shoppers, not police the prescribing habits of physicians.
By law, patients have a right to their own prescription and medical records, so Hammond was able to request them from the Pharmacy Board and Buckwalter so the Sun could verify his claims.
Hammond said he had selected Buckwalter as his primary care physician. After a neck injury the doctor began an intense regimen of painkillers, including hydrocodone and oxycodone, without explaining their potential for addiction and overdose, Hammond said.
Hammond said that within months, he had no more pain complaints — but by then was addicted to the drugs. Hammond says the change was subtle, and that he didn’t realize he was addicted to the pills until he had been taking them for many months. He says he took them because they made him feel good, and he trusted the doctor.
“I didn’t know what I was taking,” Hammond said. “I should’ve googled it. I blame nobody but myself.”
Hammond is more upset about this: Buckwalter’s prescriptions continued even after he nearly died from an overdose of the pills in August 2007.
Pharmacy records show that Buckwalter prescribed medications to Hammond from January 2005 to June 2008. In that period he was prescribed about 1,530 doses of alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known by the brand name Xanax; 11,350 oxycodone, many of them under the brand name Endocet; 5,740 hydrocodone pills; and 1,440 doses of hydromorphone, a type of morphine.
In June 2007, Hammond was prescribed 1,290 pills — a daily average of 34 narcotic painkillers, five Xanaxes, three Somas, a muscle relaxer, and one Ambien, a sleep aid.
Hammond insists he was taking the drugs at the levels prescribed by Buckwalter.
“I was taking his prescriptions on his word,” Hammond said. “He’s the professional. I trusted him.”
Buckwalter graduated with a medical degree from Ross University in the West Indies in 1993. In 1997 he received his Nevada medical license to practice pediatrics and family medicine. He has no record of being disciplined.
The newspaper made multiple visits to Buckwalter’s office on St. Rose Parkway in Henderson and delivered a letter that included Hammond’s name and the allegations in this story.
Bryce Buckwalter, the doctor’s brother and attorney, would not comment other than to say Buckwalter had rendered the appropriate treatment for the symptoms Hammond presented.
The experts who reviewed Hammond’s medical records at the Sun’s request were unanimous in their conclusions, which they expressed with varying degrees of alarm.
Dr. Andrea Trescot, a Florida pain specialist who wrote a guide for prescribing opiates for the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, said Hammond may have grounds to sue Buckwalter.
The records, Trescot said, show:
• No legitimate medical need for the narcotics.
• Multiple prescriptions at the same time for the same or equivalent medications.
• Quantities of pills “far above” a reasonable amount.
Under Buckwalter’s care, Hammond apparently became addicted to the medications “either through maliciousness or blatant disregard of the dangers of this class of medicines” — which equates to malpractice or criminal behavior, she said.
Trescot said Buckwalter’s patient records for Hammond are so incomplete that there’s no clear medical reason for the prescriptions. Buckwalter did order imaging of Hammond’s back and neck but the findings were unremarkable, she said. And there should be a log of the medications prescribed with a justification for each, she said.
After Hammond began requesting the drugs, it was the doctor’s responsibility to ensure they were necessary, she said.
The use of prescription narcotics in Las Vegas has reached crisis proportions, experts have told the Sun. The newspaper’s analysis of Drug Enforcement Administration data showed that Nevadans per capita consumed more hydrocodone — also known as Vicodin or Lortab — than residents of any other state. They were ranked fourth per capita in the use of methadone, morphine and oxycodone, the main ingredient in OxyContin.
The increasing use of prescription narcotics is linked to an increase in overdoses of the drugs, which now exceed the number of fatal overdoses of illicit drugs.
Hammond realized he was addicted when he moved from Las Vegas but then flew back to get more narcotics from Buckwalter. He admits to lying to Buckwalter about being in pain to get drugs. The encounter sheets in Hammond’s medical file show visit after visit in which his chief complaint is “Rx refill.”
The addiction resulted in the loss of several jobs, Hammond said. He said he plans to file a complaint with the state Medical Examiners Board.
Hammond’s drug use may not have been flagged by the Pharmacy Board’s prescription tracking system, primarily because he was not doctor shopping.
Pain management experts say one of the challenges in prescribing narcotics is that pain is impossible to verify. However, doctors are expected to conduct physical examinations and search for the source of the pain, or refer the patient to a specialist if the problem is ongoing.
Hammond said he did not understand the dangers of narcotics when Buckwalter started prescribing them in January 2005. He said he would describe his pain to Buckwalter but did not undergo a physical examination.
“He’d write scripts for oxycodone, Xanax, Endocet and Vicodin and say, ‘Take whatever you need,’ ” Hammond said.
Records show monthly visits for prescriptions with the volume of drugs reaching a peak in mid-2007.
• In May 2007 Buckwalter prescribed Hammond 1,020 doses of narcotic painkillers, plus 30 doses of the sleep aid Ambien and 90 of Soma, a muscle relaxant.
• In June Buckwalter signed prescriptions for 1,020 doses of narcotics, 30 of Ambien, 90 of Soma and 150 of Xanax.
• In July, Buckwalter approved 1,170 doses of narcotics.
On August 7, 2007, Buckwalter added a stimulant to the mix, Dextroamphetamine, probably because Hammond was heavily sedated by the narcotics, experts speculated.
Hammond said he took the drugs as prescribed and by summer 2007 was up to about 40 pills a day. He was working in another state on August 23, 2007, when he almost died from a drug overdose.
Toxicology tests from Hammond’s four-day hospital stay showed he’d overdosed on amphetamines, opiates and Xanax.
Hammond says the doctors at the hospital informed Buckwalter about the overdose. And on his next visit with Buckwalter, the two discussed the overdose, he says. Buckwalter downplayed the experience, Hammond contends, saying it was caused by the amphetamines, not the opiates.
Medical records do not indicate whether the two talked about the overdose.
In September, records show, Buckwalter stopped Hammond’s prescription for amphetamines but continued prescribing 620 narcotic painkillers. The next month the number of narcotic doses climbed to 820, records show.
Trescot called it alarming that Buckwalter continued prescribing Hammond narcotics after his overdose, if in fact Buckwalter was aware of it. “To continue to write medicines for this patient in the face of a severe side effect of the medicine in unconscionable,” she said.
A Las Vegas primary care doctor who specializes in pain management reviewed Hammond’s records and called the number of pills “staggering,” “scary” and “horrible.”
“Somebody should investigate this,” the doctor said after insisting he not be identified. “They should look at (Buckwalter’s) records and look at his practice and make sure he’s not hurting people. In this particular case I’m concerned that he might have hurt this man.”
Kloth, the Connecticut pain specialist, said Buckwalter’s record-keeping was so poor it is impossible to justify the treatment — and it could be against the law to bill insurance companies based on such insufficient records.
In other cases, medicating a patient inappropriately to the point it leads to addiction has been used as grounds for malpractice, he said.
A Las Vegas pain specialist, who demanded anonymity, agreed with Kloth.
He said Buckwalter’s records of Hammond’s care show no diagnosis or attempt to figure out why Hammond was in pain, no assessment of his improvement, complications or condition, and that in addition to excessive opiate use he prescribed only short-acting narcotics.
“In addition to the risk of overdose and dangerous and unpredictable drug interactions, the amount of acetaminophen was excessive” and potentially toxic to the liver, the doctor said
“A complaint to the Nevada Board of Medical Examiners is certainly in order and should initiate an investigation which should result in a reprimand and the requirement for more education,” the Las Vegas pain specialist said.
Hammond recently went through a supervised outpatient addiction recovery program and said today he is drug-free.
Sun reporter Alex Richards contributed to this story.
Really is ironic how the police make such a big deal out of people who smoke and grow cannabis, but do hardly anything when this kind of thing happens. There's money in addiction! Las Vegas doctors are garbage, go out of town to find a doctor. I'll be this guy would be just fine if he smoked some pot and stayed off all this pharmacutical crap! Screw the medical profession in Vegas and screw the corrupt police officers. Why don't the police arrest the doctor? I guess that would hurt a booming pharma economy. Surprising that this guy didn't take out a bus stop.
Now we need to go after the doctors that are giving your kids so much Ritlin and prozac, they can't even think anymore.
This could have been avoided . Enough nonsense about how med school does not train doctors in prescribing narcotics "poor excuse doctor". I did not attend med school but I am smart enough to know that this man needed help. I am happy for this man's outcome. Unlike my experience which ended a beautiful life.
Dr. Buckwalter is an excellent and very thoughtful doctor. He has done a lot of good for his patients when other doctors would just blow them off.
His biggest problem is that he is too trusting and treats his patients like human beings and not criminals like most other doctors.
Whatever happened to personal responsibility and taking responsibility for your own actions? The patient admitted that he went back and got more drugs after he was addicted instead of going to get treatment.
He has the courage to prescribe pain meds at a level that is effective for his patients. I'd hate to see a man's careered ruined over the irresponsibility of others.
Sorry, but a good doctor does not allow a patient to use that many drugs. Don't be stupid.
I have been a patient of Dr. Buckwalters' for over 6 years, and my experiences could not be more different than what this article describes.
Dr. Buckwalter has a wonderful bedside manner and always took the time to examine me thoroughly and answer any questions I had. He always made me feel like I was his most important patient, and in today’s cattle call medical office environment that is very rare.
I agree with the previous comment, Dr. Buckwalter may have been too trusting of degenerates like Mr. Hammond, who completely fail to take responsibility for their own actions. How can Mr. Allen describe Mr. Hammond as an "executive" and then say he was not aware that pain killers could be addictive? I find that hard to believe.
On only one occasion that I can recall have I received any kind of pain medicine from Dr. Buckwalter, and this instance was after a car accident. Even then, he examined me, prescribed a low dose and a limited quantity, and did not provide a refill.
My experiences with Dr. Buckwalter have been very positive. There are some very strong accusations in this article, and I wanted to share who I know Dr. Buckwalter to be.
Too trusting - PLEASE! The level of pills he was prescribing was TOXIC! Anyone with half a brain could figure that out. It is his responsibility as a Dr. to JUST SAY NO! He had to know his patience were addicted, and in no condition to take personal responsibility for themselves. All they cared about was getting the next fix. He made it very convenient for them to do so, on a very frightening level.
I too know someone first hand who was over prescribed by this Dr. Their story ended tragically. This person most likely "doctor shopped" until she found the easy fill by Buckwalter. If he would have turned her away, there could have been a chance to break the addiction.
I wonder how many other lives he has ruined, or in the process of doing so? The best outcome here is that this Dr. looses his license.
Turn it in Buckwalter. Save your patience from yourself.
I half hartedly agree with the artical. I do believe that he prescribes to many narcotics. I however do not belive that he understands that people have a problem with narcotics, Dr. Buckwalter is a caring Loving man who wants to do right by his patients and help them. Unfortunatly he is hurting them in the mean time. Please do not take his lisence away to practice medicine just take his narcotic lisence away. He is a good man with a good hart and good family values. Lets not destroy a man who in doing what he thought was helping people. I am sorry if this upsets those who have lost loved ones to this doctor.
This so called Dr. is a legal drug dealer and should be treated as such. I hope they take his license and send him to jail for a very long time. It will not bring back my loved one but at least something good could come out of such a tragic death.
This is a story about a pusher and an addict.
Thats all.
I am concerned that doctor's such as this one are allowed to cloud the local medical profession. I take up to 3 Lortab pills daily (5/500) for what I consider severe back, hip and leg pain. Also, migraine headaches. This is not my imagination - as MRI's, x-rays and other tests indicate I have spinal arthritis and fibromyalgia, along with diabetes. Some days I take nothing narcotic - some days I have to double the prescribed dosage. It all seems to work out on a monthly basis. I consider myself dependent - not addicted - and wonder if these careless medical professionals will cause our over-caring political and nanny-state government agencies to limit or remove Lortab and such from legal consumer usage.
Obviously, I can only speak from my own understanding and experiences. But, I remember when my sister dying from cancer was limited - right up to the day she passed - from meds that would have at least made the pain more tolerable. I guess she was an addict, huh?
This interview could have been conducted with my niece and her husband. I say could have been...because they are both deceased. I would like to say, up front, that I am also a therapist and addiction's counselor in another state. I have a secondary relationship with Buckwalter because he is the one who prescribed an unthinkable amount of drugs to my niece who was the survivor of an automobile accident. She had a legitimate need for limited pain medications and muscle relaxers. She had also sustained brain damage in that accident which affected some of her cognitive abilities, including the part of the brain that affects impulsiveness and emotional regulation. This "doctor" put an extraordinary amount of drugs in her hands. He also over prescribed to my nephew-in-law who had a back ache. Both of these kids are now dead. Did they have some responsibility? Of course. But people who become addicted to pain meds lie. They lie to their loving and concerned parents who questioned them. They lie to their loving, knowledgeable, aunt who questioned them. They lie to the grandmother who adored them. They minimize their use to those who love them as their world gets smaller and their denial and secretiveness grows by leaps and bounds. It is the way of addiction.
For those writing in pithy quips about this important article... I lost my only niece, the love of my life, in part, to the greed and lack of regard for human life to this "doctor." I pray that justice is done he is removed.
I specifically know two people that go to Buckwalter just to get the drugs to sell on the streets. Please! He needs to get what he deserves and so do the patients who have turned around to sell the drugs!!!!! I hope the authorities go through all his patients records!
He said he didn't know what he was taking? BULLCRAP !!! He knew exactly what he was taking and probally ask for it by name. I abused prescroiption drugs for years and I know all the tricks. He would have been mad as hell if he had went in and the doctor HAD NOT of prescribed him the pills. Let him tell that lie elsewhere. I know better. I got two words for him. METHADONE CLINIC. If he claims he was hooked and just kept going back because he had to, I can assure you there are other alternatives. As for the doctor being all caring and such? Well sure he is to you other people who wrote in. He is giving you your drugs!!! Let him cut you down in half each month and you will be on here calling him every name in the book. You are a bunch of dope addicts singing the praises of your dope man. You aren't fooling anyone. And before anyone says anything about a methadone clinic, I'll say this. At a cost of $13 a day each and everyday and you having to go and get it each and everyday you are making a clinic owner and the oil companies rich. Show up without that $13 a day to dose with and see how caring a methadone clinic is. You will be on the sidewalk flopping around!!! The dose you get at a methadone clinic cost that owner of the clinic about 18 cents for the dose you get. Go figure.
I suspect that the people who yell the loudest about Drs. and the price they charge are the 1st ones in line at the Drs.office when they feel a twinge... then return to their rant once they have recovered from their health issue.
One consideration about the amount of subscribed medications in L.V. might be due to the number of folks that moved here from other states because of health problems [like myself].
I have advanced arthritis in my knees,hips and lower back and ,while I can survive without medication, a few days without pain killers is a quick reminder of my need ... if I want to function above the level of those who are wheelchair bound.
My pain and my painkillers are my choice ...so thank you Dr. X.
To Nieceless Aunt,
I am aware of both your niece and nephew, I want to apologize to you and your family for what had happened to them it was unjust and didnt need to happen. This Dr. does need to be stopped or he is going to alot more people. I have complained more than once to the medical board and to the board of pharmacy to just fall on deaf ears. Yes it is his fault for giving those medications to patients but if it would have been stopped when the complaints were done iam sure that there would be people alive today. Please niecelessaunt. accept my apology from my heart for you and your family.
Where is the responsibility of the patient to read what the Pharmacy puts on the label of the prescription? READ IT. When the Pharmacist says " Do you have any questions about the medication?" Why is it not the patient's responsibility to ask the question? Blaming the Doctor is the same excuse for blaming the Liquor Store for selling you alcohol. You should know the risks and do your own home work.
This Doctor has plenty of patients who have been helped. In these cases, these 3 patients out of how many who have been helped, should have asked questions about their medication.
If you use pain medication you should understand the nature of the medicine. The last thing that I would like to see is regulation of medicine for people who need it and dont abuse it. Anyone who read about Heath Ledger's death should notice what he was taking.
The Doctor over prescribed medicine. But, he did not force these patients to take it. I would hate to be patient with a legit need for medicine to now not be able to get what you need due to people who can not manage their own prescriptions. I would also like to know how are the insurance companies paying for that amount of medicine? Most wont allow anything more than a 30 day amount before insurance will pay for the medicine. So if you are spending $300 out of pocket for these drugs, you should be asking yourself as a patient is this really in my best interest?
Those who need to take this medicine are not bad people. This Doctor made some mistakes for believing in patients who clearly lied about their needs. Cut off the abusers of these crazy amounts and dont write script to them.
But to have some Pain Management person speak about what is best for an individual patient is not the answer. You have insurance not paying for Chiropractors, Message and other aspects to help pain.
There are plenty of patients of this Doctor who play by the rules and they should not be penalized. If I had someone in my family taking this level of these drugs, I would be asking for second and third opinions about what the right manner should be to help the patients. Patients need to be responsible for what goes into their bodies. If I had cancer, I would not be relying on one Doctor to give me answers.
If you regulate - you will have the street pushing these drugs. This Doctor should be warned - but not all of his patients who take pain medication should be lumped into the same group as users.
People then tell me why he could prescibe a 21 year girl 310 Oxy's in 12 days. She didn't have cancer .She had no pain she thought she did , because that is what addicts do . She was well aware of her drug addiction But drug addicts don't tell their family they're hooked. This fault is Dr. B's , he needed to send her to a rehab clinic if he cared, I guess he didn't . The drugs are highly addictive and after awhile your system becomes immune . She hid from her family and said she was tired , and seeing this doctor for the FLU. Some FLU . Doctor I hate you .Go directly to jail and don't pass go
Its kind of late for a 2nd opinion , when a young girl has left this world. The pain we are feeling now is nowhere near that of an addict . Only this so called "caring doctor" should have said NO . Its all about give me the MONEY . You stupid people. Wake up someone died here!
This whole issue related to addiction to pain medications, and the resulting anger at the Doc... DOES only ONE thing and that is to give a very BAD name to ethical Docs, and patients that REALLY need the medication. This patient was taking WAY too much obviously.... BUT the health care individuals that ARE trying to do the right thing, and that is to control a patients pain, are the ones suffering now. Pain control throughout our nation is pathetic. Is it fixable,,,,, NO because of our current pathetic health care system..
i know that there are more than 3 deaths with this doctor he does need to be stopped get him out of practice NOW
i know that there are more than 3 deaths with this doctor he does need to be stopped get him out of practice NOW
FOr the people who blame this on the addicts and claim that the doctor has done nothing wrong, I would like to say that my brother was a patient of his, and I saw the prescriptions after he overdosed. Luckily he made it, but what kind of medical doctor would prescribe 250 oxycontin tablets and 200 xanax every 15 days? Think about that when you say he is a concerned doctor.
Wow, there are no words to describe this man . I hope he likes BOLOGNA sandwiches. May he and his boyfriend be happy in jail. Honestly if everyone is overdosing in local hospitals , what the XXXX is wrong with the hospitals they should have turned him in . There are only a few in Vegas . St. Rose , Sunset & UMC I think ? This goes to show you the big picture. The doctors , pharmacists, the office workers nurses , ER staff . I guess if there are no overdoses they lose their jobs. Its about the money . Does anyone care? Or are you guys as stupid as you look. Yes you are stupid and cowardly.Wouldn't want you for a friend.
Everyone is complaining about how this doctor needs his lisence takin away and it is his fault. Everyone who has takin these pills are adults and that is why the bottles say take as needed. If you go lose all your money at a casino are you going to want there business lisences takin away? He dosnt make you take the pills and if you come in complaining of pain and are lying your but off then it is your fault. I have been reading these comments and someone said everyone saying good stuff are druggies, well i dont take 1 medication at all and i have worked in the medical feild for 4 years every were you go doctors are giving out these pills. And there are alot of pain management doctors in this town that will not accept patients who are on high doses of meds due to they dont want to take care of them when they have to get them off or adjust the meds.The reporter how took this story should check into that. People need to take responsibility for what they choose to do and stop blaming their problems on other people.
ok they say take as needed yes, but if he prescribed 250 tablets, and then another prescription for 250 tablets 15 days later, don't you think someone with his expertise would recognize a problem there... i was the one who filed a complaint about 5 months ago, after my brother overdosed and I did so after carefully researching him. He is not a good medical doctor.
And I guess this guy would have us all believe the doctor held a gun to his head, forcing him to take and swallow all those pills on a daily basis. Good grief people, take some responsiblity for your own actions and stop blaming everyone but yourself.
Azs8fan:
You are a dumb XXXX.
lv86:
What happened with the complaint?
People crack me up - Someone wants some pills so they ask around and find the name of a Dr. who will prescribe them - then they want more so they go back and manufacture yet another 'ailment' and get more pills - and so on and so on and then when they find themselves addicted they want to 'blame' the doctor for prescribing them - like they would have been happy if they'd gone and the doctor did what, refused them? Ya right - NOT..........people need to get over their own stupidity and just admit they wanted the pills, they got them and they have no one to blame except themselves.
happy80:
You can't spell worth crap. Medical field or not just shows how dumb you are
Northsider - sticks and stones - you know the rest - Do you have a problem with personal responsiblity - sure sounds like it to me.
At what age do you consider to be a responsible patient? An 18 year old?
LV, sorry about your brother but if the Dr. prescribed 250 pills whose idea was it to get another 250 pill prescription 15 days later? At some point people need to realize they are just at much fault for asking for the pills as they guy who writes the prescriptions for them.
Northsider:
I got a letter from the investigator a few weeks later saying he was investigating the case and to give him as much info as I can...i'm not saying my brother was smart by getting addicted, but with someone who can prescribe crazy amounts like that for his own benefit, which you all will c later, is just not right...i gave the investigator copies of prescriptions and etc... he updated me every month n then told me it was a complex investigation and actually sent me another letter right before Buckwalter made headlines
Hey azsk8fan:
I never said my bro was innocent in the situation.. he did his part and went and got help, but I saw what it's like for someone to OD adn ruin their lives with stupid addictions and if doctor's such as Buckwalter have a hand in that, then they deserve to get checked... Yes he shouldn't have asked for another prescription, but Buckwalter should have said no anyways...come on, let's use our common sense... if you were a doctor, would u prescribe that many pills, 15 days later?
Has your investigation ended ? Was your complaint filed with the medical board?
Well hell the state thinks 16 is responsible enough to drive a car so maybe that's a good starting point.
yes, my complaint was filed with the medical board. i'm not sure if the investigation has ended yet... i know i get a letter every month from the investigator with updates
What is the medical board telling you? Keep the pressure on.
Basically they are telling me that the case is very complex, due to them having trouble accessing files, n etc. They want me and my brother's help now...My brother has been clean for awhile now, so I know what he has been through and I don't think anyone should go through that. I know other friends of my brother's who were getting pills to sell, and they had no medical problems, but they were paying the doctor on the side. I'm not sure how true that is, so I never put that in the complaint, because I just stated the facts...no lies..
Complex in what way ?
Not sure, I guess there are alot of things that they are investigating... plus they need copies of files and prescriptions... i'm not exactly sure... i didn't ask
Dr. Buckwalter was not making money from any of these people he never charged them more than anyone else that came there. I am with the others on the fact that if he didnt give the narcotics to people in the first place they would have never had a problem however it is up to the patient to ask questions and find out what they are taking and why. I have been in the medical field for 11 years and have worked in Henderson, NV let me put it this way i may know lv86 brother if that gives you a clue. there are so many people that come in and say they have lower back pain and that is very hard to prove even with x-rays and mri's you have to understand that YES the doctor is the start to the problem and in some cases the end but the patient is also in charge of there life and have to get a hold on themselves and not ask for pain meds.
I'm not saying it happened but what if someone got a prescription and then went back and said they dropped it in the toilet by accident or some other reason - should the dr. say 'too bad, so sad' can't give ya anymore....what if it really happened the way the patient said it happened - should the patient now have to do without any prescription because of an accident - the possibilities are are endless and while I agree the Dr. should not arbitrarily keep prescribing medicines in this fashion it's really hard to know the whole story and what may have prompted the Dr. to write another scrip
please email me at shrekio@yahoo.com if you have any questions on this matter iam sure i can help.
Jeff, your response was direct and to the point and totally the truth direct from (excuse the pun) the horses mouth. My brother goes to a 'program' back in the mid-west and has been for 30 yrs. now - wouldn't ya think by now he'd have been weaned...........all I can say is it's HIS CHOICE and he's not fooling anyone but himself - and while the 'program' should have weaned him off methodone after 30 yrs. they are, after all a business and in it to make money. He would have been better served by a State run program but he knew that would mean he'd eventually (sooner rather than later) be FREE of the drugs and that, to this day, is apparently not the path he chooses to pursue.
upset08:
Maybe you do know my brother, I wouldn't be surprised, but that is not the point. My brother had no say in this, he even got pissed when I told him how I filed a complaint and it's being investigated. Yes he took responsibility for his ADDICTION and did not blame that on the doctor, but the doctor did not help his situation...i'm sorry but if a doctor gave me 250 oxycontins every 15 days for a period of 6 months, I'd still be stuck on pills...no doctor should be prescribing that strong of a prescription for that amount in addition to other prescriptions and pain killers in great amounts, that often...he was not the only one, and yes he did charge him the same as everyone else, but for those who sold pills, he also took some of the profits. Unless you have direct contact with this doctor, I don't think you really know how he practiced.
Oh dont misunderstand me I am on your side. yes i do have direct contact and he never took money. I feel the same way you do. I myself have turned him in a few times.
Like i said before please email me at shrekio@yahoo.com and can talk more with you about it i dont not want the Dr. to see his brother is a lawyer and i could get sued.
Don't worry, I work for a lawyer, if the doctor tries to pull any of that, this has already been discussed with our lawyer.
I am very sorry that you and your family has had to go through this. It was a long time of watching people get addicted and hurt due to this. I did try and it never got handled i got put on the back burner. I did try but with no succsess.
I do understand that when you first go to a doctor you have pain. First you get a diagnosis , and then meds. Where I live my doctor after 3 months would say this is not working lets send you somewhere else.He would not have me return for a 15 months give me the same script. Hello the Xanax and the Loratabs and the meth oh and the oxy are just not working . Try telling that to a drug addict who has invisible pain. They are hooked. Too late your dead. Who is the one with the degree ?
Get a grip people...TAKE AS NEEDED!!! Right on the bottle! Dr. B has always been fair and very compassionate. He listens, examines, and orders tests. I've been a patient for 5 years and he has helped me on a number of occasions. He has monitored closely and not allowed refills. If addiction becomes an issue than take personal responsibility, enter rehab, and don't go back to a Dr. you may think had put you there. I'm pretty sure that's one of the 12 steps!
So for those patients who actually READ their presciption instructions from the Pharmacist, should they be punished?
File a civil suit or do what you wish. But, the sounds of a few patients should not out weigh the good that this Doctor provides to his other patients. It is was not the case, this board would be directly in favor of taking away his license - which it clearly is not.
I read my childrens prescriptions, I also read mine. The failures of those who can not follow explicit instructions - which I would find hard to believe that the Pharamist is not stating clearly on the bottle - then they should be either going to see the Doctor with someone who can help them make sense of what they should be doing. I am not in disagreement about the amounts of some of these presciptions.
So what is it that these few patients are trying to gain by taking away a Doctor who helps out the majority of his clients and does not have them lying to get assistance?
What do you want to tell all of these other patients who follow the rules, understand the medication that they are taking and are doing better due to the assistance that these medicines are providing?
Are you making the comment that these medicines should be taken away from all of his patients? I am sorry for your pain and situation. But, really what is it that you want to gain for those who see this Doctor with positive results from his care?
As someone who also lost someone ( my wife ) to a overdose from painkillers and after reading all of the comments here I feel that I need to give my 2 cents. My wife was also a patient of Dr. Buckwalters and didn't live to tell about it. I think that the point is being missed by some of you in that while yes, all of the patients are adults and should be responsible for their actions, Dr. Buckwalter over prescribes these painkillers, not by a little, but by the hundreds. I found so many bottles of pain meds of all types with refill dates so close together it was unbelievable. The point is not to get rid of painkillers but I think that it is ovious that Dr. Buckwalter is a big part of the problem. To many people with this same doctor have the same sad story to tell.
I am sorry - but I am counting the number of people stating that they lost someone to pain medication. Lets count the number of people who manage their prescriptions and actually follow the rules before a sweeping comment is made to say that "too many people have had the same sad story to tell".
Again - file a civil suit and settle your issue. For those patients who have had great care from this Doctor, they should not have their medication taken away.
So I guess this is what the angry posters want to have happen? Lets take a shot at another Doctor in the Valley and see if we get a similiar story, sad to say but I think we could find other stories from other Medical Professionals in Las Vegas. That is what this entire story has been about.
So for those multiple posters, do you want those who take medication provided by this Doctor to be unable to get medication due to your situations? I am not in agreement with these amounts by any reason.
Again, for those posters who continue to post over and over again grinding their axe - what is it that you want to happen to the other 99% of his patients who use this medication prescibed by this Doctor? Do you want this taken away from all of his patients?
The complaint was filed by someone not seeking a lawsuit, but someone who wanted the medical board and investigators to know how the doctor prescribes the pills. And if you have ever been prescribed pain killers, a lot of times it says "Take As Needed." Well if someone is addicted, then they will need it all the time, and if the doctor doesn't know how to prescribe pills, or does so in huge amounts, then someone of higher authority needs to regulate. If Buckwalter is not regulating the amount of medication he is prescribing, someone else needs to. The complaint was not filed to say "hey Buckwalter, you are responsible for making so many people addicts, I'm gonna get you in court." No it was because his act of irresponsibility is the cause of so many people's addictions getting worse.
What do you people not understand? I am talking about the AMOUNT of medicine up to thirty pills a day, to a girl that weighs 110 pounds.She had cramps! Then within 15 days she was given 310 oxy's sad to say she died our world ended . She didn't have a chance taking a cocktail mix of medicine . Oh and the bottle says take every 4 hours there is no way . Do the math .
In Germany, only physicians (Arzte) can prescribe Oxycodone which is sold by Mundipharma as Oxygesic. These physicians need to have a special BtM (Betaubungsmittel/English: Controlled Substance) number. Not all physicians have BtM numbers. BtM prescriptions are handled very cautiously and the central Federal Opium Bureau (Bundesopiumstelle) records all traffic. The BtM prescription has a different appearance from a regular prescription and includes three copies; one for the prescribing physician, one for the pharmacy and one for the BOP. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAPPEN TO THE 1 PERCENT OF US WHO LOST A LOVED ONE . The other 99% can continue to see this doctor its their choice. He can't be trusted to write a narcotics script because he does not understand you can't mix oil & vinegar. You need to shake it . Send these young kids to a pain management clinic.
I think the authors did an awesome job in showing us just how addicting pain medicine can be in all walks of life. We are not immune from this . The posts associating the good doctor are disgusting , be it as you wish, he is a terrible professional man. Seems the makers of these pills are profiting huge. This doctor seems to prescribe alot of Loratabs, Xanax , Oxycodeine and Methadone = DEPRESSION which leads to SUICIDE. Who is at fault now the dog?
It was my daughter and son in law that were patients of this killer. They took their drugs as directed. She had a very serious back and head injury. HE NEVER EXAMINED HER !!!!.If any of you smug a-holes would like to meet with me and discuss this especially azskfan8 and the"person" who called them degenetates lets discuss this, If you think he is a great doctor, I would question your motives, It seems to me that you people don't want your drug dealer put out of business.Anyone who thinks he is a good doctor is an idiot. My daughters injuries were very noticable by x-ray, especially the plate in her head. HE NEVER CHECKED or read her report by the Nevada brain facility where she went for a year to recover from her injuries. Get your heads out of your asses, he is a killer, plain and simple.He even lied under oath in a deposition about what he prescribed to her.
john please email me at shrekio@yahoo.com i can help. I can tell you why when you email.
Johndelv, I am not now nor ever have been a patient of this Dr. - matter of fact, until this article I had never even hear of him. My point, simply put, was that people need to take responsibility for their actions. Just because a Doctor prescribes what sounds to me like an exhorborant amount of pain meds. does not mean the patient should be taking them. Like I mentioned earlier - my own brother is 'hooked' on methodone - has been for 30 yrs or so - I see that as his choice and if, god forbid, something happens to him I will feel very very bad indeed but I can't blame the clinic he goes to - they're in the business of selling methodone - it's up to him to make the wise choice to wean himself off and eventually become drug free - unfortunately he chooses not to.
Johndelv, I am not now nor ever have been a patient of this Dr. - matter of fact, until this article I had never even hear of him. My point, simply put, was that people need to take responsibility for their actions. Just because a Doctor prescribes what sounds to me like an exhorborant amount of pain meds. does not mean the patient should be taking them. Like I mentioned earlier - my own brother is 'hooked' on methodone - has been for 30 yrs or so - I see that as his choice and if, god forbid, something happens to him I will feel very very bad indeed but I can't blame the clinic he goes to - they're in the business of selling methodone - it's up to him to make the wise choice to wean himself off and eventually become drug free - unfortunately he chooses not to.
If there is an attorney looking at this and is interested in the TRUTH about this article please email me at lasvegasmike@live.com
I am Mike Hammond and I'll be the first to say I have no one to blame but myself BUT it would have been nice to know I could have depended on the doctor.
My main objective was to shine a light on this and I have succeeded. Those of you debating back and forth are doing exactly what I intended which was for people to open their eyes to this problem.
Las Vegas has a big problem and it is only going to get worse unless people start taking action. I almost died and there are a few posters that have actually had members of their families die becuase of Dr. B.
As the saying goes "until you have walked a mile in my shoes, you know not of what you are speaking".
upset 08
Why can't you talk on the board ?
Mike Hammond
Why do you want a lawyer who is interested in the truth ? You told Mr. Allen the truth is there more bad things the doctor was doing?
For all the people that see this man as caring, I'd like to know what dope your smoking. How can there be so many people that defend this doctor? When a script says take every 4 hours guess what drugs addicts take them every hour. They don't know what time it is? So please don't show blame to my young niece who fell into this doctors web of narcotics he never said no . Just kept them coming every month . I guess he never heard of pain management.
i worked there
I think the most important thing to take away from all of this discussion in light of everything that has happened in the world this week is who do you want to control your life? The government or you?
Do you really want the USA to turn into a 100% nanny state with the government controlling everything in the name of protecting you from yourself.
Be careful what you wish for...
This doctor gave my niece all of the ammunition to kill herself. As angry as I am , I will not stop until he his charged as a criminal. Jail time . There are way too many deaths in such a short time . Going to the doctor should not be a death sentence. Sure he made some people better .
It cost our family alot of grief . So my goal first of all is to send him away. Then make new laws . Sorry all you addicts . Mess with my family your going down !!!!
to Northsider, I am with you 100% He gave our loved ones all the ammo they needed. All of us who lost loved ones need to get together to get this guy. He needs to be someones B---h in the pen.
Dear John delv,
Have you filed charges?
Also I do believe that (OXY) should only be able to be presribed at a pain management clinic.No one is in that much pain walking around without a diagnosis, go to a hospital or see a specialist asap.
sounds like we all need to get together and take our stories in force to someone to get some answers and action. I know that no one wanted to touch this when I went at it alone, but i think that if we all get together we couldn't be ignored. There are failures on a number of levels that need to be fixed.
For all of us who know what this doctor is all about, it is time to put the pressure on him.The only way to get him, is complain to the proper authorities. If we want this monster stopped let's call these people
1. Pharmacy Board 1-800-364-2081
2. DEA (duty agent) 702-591-5279
3. Nev dept. of public safety(pharmnet task force) 702-759-8118
If your serious about stopping Buckwalter please call these agencies with your concern
Thank You Phil721 for seeking out these phone numbers . I will be calling in the morning .
Thanks for doing your homework Phil721 , Our family will be sure to contact the appropriate numbers ASAP. Everyone let me know if it works for you.
I too will also call this week....
I believe we need to implement a central computer system with a database on monitoring a narcotics prescrition. I do think that the makers of the drugs are liable and need to pay to start this system. If you want to sell your drugs to us , then you need to join this system , otherwise doctors would not be so quick to write a script .
O.K. gang I've got another # for us to contact
1. Medical Board. call Doug Cooper@ 775-688-2559 ext 241
Tell the medical board you want to file a complaint against a doctor.
We have called the pharmacy board and they tried to pass the buck and say "why are you calling us". They license these Doctors so don't let them push you aside. Make sure they know we are not going to go away!!
Doctors, Pharmacists and doc's staff if you were aware of the abuse your all guilty!
To make a complaint against a pharmacy/pharmacist go to
bop.nv.gov
and print out a complaint form and mail or fax to them.
I have read everything posted about this article and what I find is that people actually think that an addict has the ability to say no to massive amounts of drugs. The definition of an addict is to do things even though it may be harmfull or destructive. This 21 year old girl was an addict and buckwalter knew it. If you are a bartender and there is someone in front of you has so much to drink they can't stand up. If they ask you for another drink, do you give it to them? No you are held legally responsible for serving someone you know is too drunk to make good decisions. Same with a drug addict. To give someone so much oxy is such a short period is legally irresponsible. Even if she lied and said "they spilled or I lost them" this is still a class two prescription that should not have been refilled at that rate. You are right, there are many legal drug dealers out there who claim to be doctors, my answer to that is one at a time. If we start getting these drug dealers put in jail, the others may think twice.
Sounds to me as if there is an arrangement between Mr Hammond and his doctor. Wonder how much Mr. Hammond pays him for those scripts or perhaps the good doctor gets a cut of the proceeds. I assure you there is no need to prescribe Mr. Hammond these amounts of medications. It is so painfully obvious that they are being sold for profit and they are both on the take. Mr, Hammond became addicted, and his only course of action in his psychotic mind is to remove the supply by turning in his supplier...so lets turn the doctor in that is providing his addiction...problem solved, right? Wow the reporter was so hood winked in this. Made Mr. Hammond out to be a victim...I assure you he is not. He knows all there is to know about pain pill addiction. There is so much more to this that is not being told. What has transpired since this story ran? Where is the Doctor? Where is Mr. Hammond? Practicing medicine, Jail, dead?? There is no innocence in Las Vegas!
nunya :I can assure you Mr.Hammond was an addict.Do you even have any education in opiate addicton? Just wait for another story to come out about this same doctor. Have you done any research on this reporter? Didn't think so. I hope when his next article comes out , you rethink what you said. Because its about a doctor giving people narcotics at an alarming rate. Since this story ran we have contacted the pharmacy board , the DEA and wrote a letter to the medical board . Please assist if you have any compassion for the victims . Read the paper soon. Thanks