What Happened
In June 2021, Loren D. Sherwood, a former physician at Dave Sherwood Family Medicine in Ridgway, Colorado, agreed to forgo practicing medicine and pay a penalty to resolve civil allegations. His Colorado medical license expired on April 30, 2017, and for nearly nine months afterward he continued to issue controlled substance prescriptions. The United States contended this violated the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. He agreed to pay $21,000 over time, or $40,000 if he failed to make timely payments. He also agreed not to practice medicine again, not to seek a medical license from any state, and not to seek reinstatement of his DEA registration.
“For nearly nine months after the expiration of his medical license, Dr. Sherwood continued to issue prescriptions for controlled substances.”
Related Guidance
- 15 Red Flags of Drug Diversion — Behavioral and transactional indicators of diversion.
- Investigation Playbook — How to investigate suspected diversion inside an organization.