State lodges formal complaint against doc over drugs

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Indiana attorney general's office has filed a formal complaint against a northern Indiana doctor, accusing him of inappropriate prescribing practices that it said put his patients in danger

Dr. William Hedrick of the Centers for Pain Relief in Northern Indiana had agreed earlier this month to a temporary suspension of his medical license , pending the formal complaint. He denied the allegations, however.

Now, the state Medical Licensing Board will determine what, if any, disciplinary action should be taken against Hedrick. The board is scheduled to meet next on Jan. 24.

• ONLINE EXTRA | Read the entire complaint against Dr. William Hedrick

The complaint calls Hedrick's pain therapies unsafe and his drug mixing practices dangerous. It also says Hedrick's practices posed substantial risk to his patients, and numerous patients under Hedrick's care "have died from multiple drug toxicity."

Hedrick is also accused of engaging in procedures that are "inconsistent with patient benefit, but consistent with financial gain for [Hedrick]."

Since January, Attorney General Greg Zoeller's office has filed numerous licensing actions against physicians for overprescribing, with several cases involving deaths.

The growing number of overprescribing incidents has resulted in the creation of the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force recently launched by Zoeller, the office said in a news release. The group is made up of state legislators, law enforcement, health officials, pharmacists, state and local agencies and education providers. Members will focus on education, treatment and recovery, prescription drug monitoring, prescription disposal and take-back and enforcement.

The full task force will publish a report of its findings and recommendations.

Friday, Zoeller said curbing prescription drug abuse was one of his main goals for 2013.