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New Hampshire Doctor Sentenced to 48 Months for Kickback Scheme
CONCORD, N.H. – Christopher Clough, a 45-year-old physician assistant from Dover, New Hampshire, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for participating in a kickback scheme involving a powerful fentanyl spray, announced United States Attorney Scott W. Murray.
According to court documents, Clough worked as a physician assistant in New Hampshire and was approached by a representative of a drug manufacturer in June 2013. He became a frequent prescriber of the fentanyl spray, which had been approved by the FDA to treat breakthrough cancer pain. Between June 2013 and the fall of 2014, Clough wrote over 750 prescriptions for the fentanyl spray, including more than 215 prescriptions for Medicare patients and several for Tricare patients.
The Medicare program paid over $2.1 million for these prescriptions, and Tricare paid nearly $600,000. During this time, the manufacturer of the drug paid Clough to serve as a speaker at more than 40 programs, at a rate of approximately $1,000 per event. However, in many instances, the programs were mere sham events where Clough was paid to have dinner with employees or representatives of the pharmaceutical company.
Clough often prescribed the drug for patients who did not have breakthrough cancer pain. He also started patients on high doses of the addictive fentanyl spray and rebuffed patients and their family members who stated that they no longer wanted the drug. Clough was convicted of one count of conspiracy and seven counts of receipt of kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program.
A jury found Clough guilty on December 18, 2018, following a six-day trial. “Mr. Clough’s actions were a disturbing betrayal of his patients’ trust,” said U.S. Attorney Murray. “Rather than making his prescribing decisions based upon the needs of his patients, his decisions were tainted by the kickbacks he was paid by a pharmaceutical company.”
Clough received over $49,000 in payments from the drug manufacturer. “Mr. Clough is no better than a street level drug dealer,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “He exploited his patients, betrayed their trust, and accepted kickbacks for his own personal enrichment.”
The sentence should serve as a warning to all healthcare providers in New Hampshire that there will be severe consequences if they choose to engage in criminal conduct.
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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