MEDFORD, Ore. – A Medford doctor pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining controlled substances.
60-year-old Patrick T. Code worked at Rogue Valley Foot and Ankle Clinic in Medford until July of 2019 when he agreed to stop practicing medicine while an investigation was underway by the Oregon Medical Board.
Eventually, the Department of Justice revealed more about the investigation, saying Code used “fraud and deception to obtain controlled substances which he used to feed his personal addiction.”
According to court documents, Code wrote 2,876 false prescriptions for tramadol and 78 for zolpidem. He picked up the prescription orders himself at local pharmacies, claiming they were for others. But he used the drugs himself.
On September 29, Code pleaded guilty to “obtaining possession of a controlled substance through misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge.” He faces a maximum of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Code will be sentenced in December.
“Substance addiction is a public safety and health crisis for this community, and no one is immune from the ravages of addiction including professionals in health care. However, the defendant’s conduct in illegally obtaining and using powerful drugs while acting as a trusted health care provider is particularly alarming”, said United States Attorney Williams. “This case was brought in order to protect the community from the ongoing risk to patients posed by the defendant’s actions.”
The Oregon Medical Board ended their investigation and reactivated Code’s license to practice podiatry in March of this year.
The building his practice was in, located at 2655 Siskiyou Boulevard, is currently being sold.
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