KY dentist convicted of illegally prescribing morphine resulting in overdose death
A Kentucky dentist has been convicted of illegally prescribing morphine that resulted in the overdose death of a patient.
A jury in federal court in Covington acquitted Dr. Jay M. Sadrinia Thursday on three charges of illegally prescribing opioid painkillers to a patient, but convicted him on one count of illegally prescribing morphine and one count of illegally prescribing morphine that resulted in a death.
A 24-year-old female patient of Sadrinia’s died in August 2020 a few days after receiving a prescription.
Sadrinia, 60, of Villa Hills in Northern Kentucky, operated several dental clinics in Crescent Springs, according to a news release.
The distribution charges against Sadrinia alleged that he prescribed painkillers to patients that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose by a practitioner acting in the usual course of professional practice.
“Despite clear signs — including being told explicitly that his prescribing of controlled substances was dangerous and put his patients’ lives at risk — Sadrinia prescribed powerful opioids to his patients for routine dental procedures,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.
Sadrinia had maintained his innocence.
“We respect, but are disappointed with the verdict of the jury,” Sadrinia’s attorney, Robert Kennedy McBride, said Friday.
McBride said he had not spoken with Sadrinia about whether there will be an appeal.
Sadrinia faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison on the charge of causing the death of a patient.
He also faces 10 additional charges of prescribing medically unnecessary drugs to three other patients. Those charges were split out to be handled separately.
U.S. District Judge David Bunning scheduled Sadrinia to be sentenced in December.
