The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Monica Preston, NP, has agreed to pay $90,000 to resolve allegations that she unlawfully prescribed controlled substances, including dangerous opioids and drug combinations, in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act. The United States alleges that Ms. Preston, while working as a Nurse Practitioner at the now-defunct Colorado Institute for Pain Management in Colorado Springs, wrote prescriptions for controlled substances that were in dosages, at frequencies, and in combinations with other controlled substances that were outside the course of her professional practice, were not reasonable and necessary, and were not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The United States alleges that Ms. Preston’s conduct departed from well-established prescribing guidelines and that she also fraudulently represented to the Center for Medicare Services that improper prescriptions were reasonable and necessary. The United States alleges that this conduct violated the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. As part of the settlement, Ms. Preston agreed to pay $90,000 in damages and civil penalties. Ms. Preston also agreed to permanently forgo holding a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration, which will prevent her from prescribing any controlled substances in the future.
