Spokane, Washington – In a shocking case of medical malpractice, two naturopathic doctors, Dr. Jacqueline Thomas and Dr. Rebecka Hoppins, have agreed to pay a total of $32,000 in civil penalties for improperly prescribing controlled substances, including opioids. According to the Controlled Substances Act, these drugs pose a risk of abuse and dependence, and practitioners must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe them.
Dr. Thomas, a naturopathic doctor based in East Wenatchee, and Dr. Hoppins, a naturopathic doctor from Edmonds, were both licensed and practicing in the State of Washington. However, under state and federal law, they were only authorized to prescribe two types of controlled substances: codeine and testosterone products. Despite this, Dr. Thomas admitted to issuing 110 prescriptions for controlled substances that she was not licensed to prescribe between December 2016 and September 2021. These included the narcotic opioid tramadol; the sleep aids zolpidem (often sold under the brand name Ambien) and eszopiclone (often sold under the brand name Lunesta); the sedative pregabalin (sometimes sold under the brand name Lyrica); and the diet drug phentermine.
Similarly, Dr. Hoppins admitted to issuing 110 invalid prescriptions for controlled substances between 2017 and 2022, including the benzodiazepine alprazolam; the narcotic opioids hydrocodone and tramadol; and the sleep aids eszopiclone (commonly prescribed under the brand name Lunesta) and zopidem (often sold under the brand name Ambien).
The settlement agreement also states that both doctors ceased their improper prescribing practices after being contacted by the DEA. Dr. Hoppins voluntarily surrendered her DEA registration and implemented additional controls to ensure appropriate prescribing going forward, while Dr. Thomas entered into a separate compliance agreement with DEA to submit regular prescribing logs and to undertake additional corrective actions to ensure that this conduct does not recur.
“I am relieved that it does not appear anyone was seriously harmed by medications improperly prescribed by these practitioners, and I commend both for admitting their past conduct and committing to strict compliance going forward,” said Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “But when a healthcare practitioner prescribes controlled substances that she is not licensed or qualified to prescribe, the public is placed at serious risk of potentially dangerous side effects, drug interactions, and contraindications.”
The total amount of civil penalties paid by the two doctors is $32,000, with each doctor paying $16,500. The Controlled Substances Act regulates certain drugs deemed to pose a risk of abuse and dependence, and the DEA requires practitioners to register to prescribe these controlled substances.
Defendant information:
- Defendant: Dr. Jacqueline Thomas and Dr. Rebecka Hoppins
- Criminal charges: Improper prescription of opioids and controlled substances
- City and state: Spokane, Washington
- Exact date: Not specified
- Sentence or outcome: Agreed to pay $32,000 in civil penalties
- Dollar amounts: $16,500 each
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Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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