A Derby nurse practitioner identified as the state’s highest Medicare prescriber of potent narcotics has admitted taking kickbacks from a drug company in exchange for prescribing pain medication.
Heather Alfonso, 42, of Middlebury, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S District Court in Hartford to receiving $83,000 in kickbacks from January 2013 until March 2015 from an unnamed pharmaceutical company that makes a drug used to treat cancer pain.
In pleading guilty, Alfonso admitted that the money she was paid influenced her prescribing of the drug, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut, which is handling the case.
The charge of receipt of kickbacks in relation to a federal healthcare program carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2015.
Heather Alfonso
Alfonso, an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) at the Comprehensive Pain and Headache Treatment Center, located in Derby, was identified in recent C-HIT stories as the state’s highest Medicare program prescriber of Schedule II drugs – potent narcotics with a high potential for addiction and abuse. She was among the top 10 prescribers in the country in 2012 and was the highest prescriber in Connecticut in 2013, writing $2.7 million in prescriptions.
Her prescribing habits in 2012 and 2013 did not appear to attract scrutiny until earlier this year, when a probe by the Drug Control Division of the Department of Consumer Protection led her to surrender her state and federal licenses to prescribe controlled substances. She has since left the pain center, a spokeswoman there said. Her nursing license is now under investigation by the state Department of Public Health.
Neither Alfonso nor Dr. Mark Thimineur, an anesthesiologist who is medical director of the Derby pain center, could be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Alfonso prescribed an array of controlled substances to clients of the treatment center and was a “heavy prescriber” of a drug used to treat cancer pain, racking up more than $1 million in Medicare claims for that drug alone. Interviews with several of her patients, who are Medicare Part D beneficiaries and who were prescribed the drug, revealed that most of them did not have cancer, but were taking the drug to treat chronic pain, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Medicare and most private insurers will not pay for the drug unless the patient has an active cancer diagnosis and an explanation that the drug is needed to manage the patient’s cancer pain.
The U.S. attorney’s investigation revealed that the manufacturer of the drug paid Alfonso as a speaker for more than 70 “dinner programs,” at a rate of approximately $1,000 per event.
“In many instances, the dinner programs were only attended by Alfonso and a sales representative for the drug manufacturer,” according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly’s office. “In other instances, the programs were attended by individuals, including office staff and friends, who did not have licenses to prescribe controlled substances. For the majority of these dinner programs, Alfonso did not give any kind of presentation about the drug at all.”
Daly said the investigation by her office is ongoing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are assisting in the probe.
Payment records compiled by the news organization ProPublica show that Alfonso received multiple payments for consulting and speaking from the drug company Cephalon, now owned by Teva Pharmaceuticals, in 2012 and 2013. Those records do not extend past 2013, however, so it is not known which drug company is involved in the federal charges. ProPublica does not list any other drug company payments to Alfonso.
Alfonso was a high prescriber of a number of painkillers used on cancer patients in 2012 and 2013, including the drug fentanyl. She wrote 782 prescriptions for fentanyl in 2013 alone – more than twice the number of the next highest prescriber.
Alfonso came to the attention of state medical regulators last summer, when she was reprimanded by the Board of Examiners for Nursing for providing narcotic pain medications to a patient seven times without personally examining the patient, instead “inappropriately” relying on an unlicensed assistant, state records say. She paid a $2,000 fine and took courses in safe prescribing and delegating work duties, but was allowed to continuing practicing without restrictions.
I’m not gonna say she didn’t go too far with this but read between the lines the tiny part that stuck out “medicare part d beneficiaries who were prescribed the drug revealed that most of them did not have cancer but were taking it to treat CHRONIC pain” and “medicare and most private insurers will NOT pay for the drug unless there is an active cancer diagnosis”.
Well now,what if that part d beneficiary was your mother or father on a very limited income in chronic pain. Obviously unable to afford what the insurers deny. Think you would step up to the plate financially for mom or dad? Make sure you think carefully before you pick up that stone.
Heather was a scapegoat in a overly aggressive government investigation, I was a patient of hers having severe back pain after two surgeries and neck pain from an assault and also arthritis. Heather was compassionate understanding and I was able to live a fairly productive life. After her interrogation and arrest the pain and headache Center had to let go of hundreds of patients, they claimed lack of staff, and I was out in the street in pain suffering from withdrawals with no help. I hope the government finds a more compassionate way to handle situations like this without causing so much pain and Devastation to hundreds of patience in chronic pain 4 their actions. And you wonder why there’s a heroin crisis in America. If I was able to find it after suffering withdrawals like I did I would have done it. I hope they are lenient on Heather as she was one of the most compassionate caregivers I have had. The kickbacks on her fault that’s what motivates doctors to over prescribed and it is the fault of the big pharmaceutical companies. It’s like the government they dangle a carrot in front of your face and then throw you in jail for taking a bite.
Walter, Heather ruined it for all the patients there, they didnt get rid of the patients because of lack of staff, they got rid of medicaid they no longer support it, as well as CVS dropping them. all the older folks had to find somewhere else to go, now if you go in their office there is hardly any patients there & certainly not the ones that are there only to get high, you can point them out so easily. Heather took advantage of her situation.. of course she has compassion she was making money on top of money off her patients. They have PA’s in there now that should not be dealing with the public, there is no compassion with a few of them, its sad that they automatically think you are their for drugs rather then relief to live your life from whatever pain you have. They should revamp the entire office & keep on the people that know how to deal with people. Dr T needs to step up & deal with his patients directly rather then rely on a PA, They are still charging insurance companies for a Dr Visit rather a PA visit. They continue to ask for more medical records, when they are produced they switch you to another PA. and you might want to think twice about asking to speak to Dr T thats a big no no.. imagine that, your own Dr you cant even ask to speak to or they feel you are being pushy or rude. Bottom line is whoever wants to live a life pain free has to basically kiss these peoples asses in order to stay on their service regardless of your medical records. its quite sad. Heather is by no means a saint is my point, she ruined it for alot of people that need pain management. If you try to switch to another firm they frown on that & say you are Dr shopping.. its a no win situation, I wonder whats going to happen to all the patients when he goes to shut down. Some of the better Dr left prior to Heather being exposed, those were the doctors that actually cared.. I can honestly say there are 3 people 4 at the most who have a heart & compassion for people.. anyone else is useless & there for a paycheck only. Best of luck to you Walter