Legal team of convicted radiologist argues he deserves lighter sentence for distributing pain pills

Michael Walter | | Radiology Business | Economics
Researchers found millions of heart failure patients who qualify for standard, guideline directed medical therapies, but did not receive it due to poor health literacy, limited access to care and medication costs.

Former University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) radiologist Marios D. Papachristou, who pleaded guilty in May to federal charges of healthcare fraud, faces a prison term of up to 46 months—but he is now saying he deserves probation and not jail time.

The pain pills he illegally distributed were for his own use, he and his legal team are saying, according to a new report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Dr. Papachristou, for his part, should not be sentenced as a 'pill mill' physician, a physician who traded prescriptions for in-kind favors, or an addict who victimized other addicts for his own profit,” Papachristou’s lawyer said in sentencing papers, according to the report.

Previous Radiology Business coverage of this case can be read here and here. Click the link below for the full story. 

Ex-UPMC doctor, a recovering opioid addict, seeks leniency in federal drug case

Michael Walter
Michael Walter, Managing Editor

Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.

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