Dr. Paul Lottes, a family medicine physician in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act by writing prescriptions for opioid medications that had no legitimate medical purpose and were not issued in the usual course of professional practice. The United States alleges that from August 2017 to April 2019, Dr. Lottes wrote prescriptions for opioids classified as Schedule II controlled substances for two patients that had no legitimate medical purpose and were not issued in the usual course of professional practice, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. In addition to agreeing to pay the $100,000 settlement, Dr. Lottes has also agreed not to reapply for a controlled substances registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) for a period of three years. Without the DEA registration, Dr. Lottes will not be able to prescribe controlled substances during this time.
