Richland, Washington – Judith K. Caporiccio, N.D., a Richland-based naturopathic doctor, has agreed to pay $70,096 to resolve allegations under the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act, which allege that she improperly prescribed controlled substances between July 2016 and July 2021. The Controlled Substances Act regulates certain drugs that pose a risk of abuse and dependence. To protect public safety and prevent misuse and diversion, the Act requires practitioners to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) to prescribe these controlled substances.
During the relevant time period, Dr. Caporiccio was a naturopathic doctor licensed in the State of Washington and practicing in Richland, Washington. Under state and federal law, as a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Caporiccio was only authorized to prescribe two types of controlled substances: codeine and testosterone products. In the settlement agreement recently reached between the United States and Dr. Caporiccio, she admitted issuing at least 421 prescriptions for controlled substances that she was not authorized to prescribe. These controlled substances included the sleep aid zolpidem (often sold under the brand name Ambien); the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam (sometimes sold under the brand name Xanax); the benzodiazepine lorazepam; the stimulant modafinil (typically prescribed for narcolepsy and sleep apnea); and the sedative pregabalin (sold by Pfizer under the brand name Lyrica).
The settlement...
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