What Happened
A federal grand jury in San Diego indicted Dr. David J. Smith, a pain management physician, and his office manager Julia Ann Oertle in December 2022. The indictment alleges that beginning in December 2017 they compounded fentanyl citrate into vials at San Diego Comprehensive Pain Management Center, producing adulterated fentanyl that Smith directed be administered to patients, and that Smith prescribed materially excessive quantities of fentanyl. They are charged with healthcare fraud and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances. Smith's bond was set at $1 million, and Oertle was still at large.
“Beginning in December 2017, Smith and Oertle began compounding fentanyl citrate into vials, in a room at Smith’s principal medical practice”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.