Randall Halley, DO, a Nixa, Mo.-based physician, was sentenced after taking bribes from a drug manufacturer in exchange for prescribing the company's fentanyl drug to his patients, the U.S. Justice Department said Sept. 13.
Dr. Halley, employed by Ozarks Community Hospital-Christian County Clinic from 2004 to June 2019, regularly accepted money to travel and speak for pharmaceutical companies such as Insys, which produces fentanyl medication Subsys — approved by Medicare for active cancer patients only.
Dr. Halley accepted bribes, disguised as speaking fees, from Insys in exchange for prescribing the drug, and the company increased his compensation based on his prescriptions. Insys paid Dr. Halley a total of $92,225 in bribes.
Dr. Halley also made false statements on pre-authorization forms to ensure insurance coverage and had employees use his Drug Enforcement Agency registration number to provide the medication in his absence. He would pre-sign the prescriptions for his employees to fill out while he was away.
In December, Dr. Halley pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to Medicare and one count of conspiracy to use his registration number for his employees to issue controlled substances to patients in his absence.
He was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison without parole and must pay $400,565 to Medicare and a fine of $150,000.