Doctor faces involuntary manslaughter charge for illegally prescribing opioids

WOBURN, Mass. — A Dracut physician accused of illegally prescribing opioids to at-risk patients, including one patient who died, now faces involuntary manslaughter and other charges.

Dr. Richard Miron, 76, is also accused of defrauding the state’s Medicaid program known as MassHealth, Attorney General Maura Healey said in a statement Tuesday.

A Middlesex County grand jury indicted Miron, who practices internal medicine in Dracut, on Thursday. He is charged with 23 counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances, 23 counts of Medicaid false claims, and one count of involuntary manslaughter.

Healey's office began investigating in September 2017, after the matter was referred by MassHealth.

From September 2015 to February 2016, Miron ranked as the largest provider of high-dose, short-acting Oxycodone prescriptions among all MassHealth providers in the state.

MassHealth terminated Miron from the program in September 2017, and he is not currently practicing medicine following an agreement with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
 
The AG's investigation alleges that Miron was responsible for the death of a patient on March 17, 2016. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that her death was caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, morphine, codeine and butalbital, all of which were prescribed by Miron.

Investigators allege that Miron was aware that the victim previously had overdosed on opioids that he had prescribed and was treated and discharged from Lowell General Hospital on Feb. 2, 2016, yet he continued to prescribe large doses of opioids to her on that date and multiple other dates up to March 9, 2016.
 
The AG's investigation found that in multiple other instances, Miron allegedly prescribed opioids, including Oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, methadone and hydromorphone to patients for no legitimate medical purpose.

Healey's office alleges that Miron prescribed the drugs, which have a high potential for abuse, to some patients despite their documented substance use disorders. Drug screens ordered and reviewed by Miron indicated that many patients were negative for prescribed opioids and positive for cocaine, heroin or other non-prescribed opioids, but Miron allegedly continued to prescribe opioids to those patients.

The illegal prescriptions Miron allegedly wrote caused pharmacies to unwittingly falsely bill MassHealth for the medication.

Miron will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.

Cox Media Group