Jay Joshi, MD, 33, a family practitioner in Munster, Indiana, was indicted January 23, 2018 on four counts of selling, distributing or dispensing hydrocodone based on prescriptions issued to a government agent falsely perpetrating himself as a patient in need of treatment. He received prescriptions for 60 tablets of hydrocodone (Norco) for four consecutive monthly visits—a minimal amount. The government also used the standard charge of dispensing controlled substances that were “not prescribed for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the scope of professional practice,” because the lying government agent didn’t really have a medical problem.  Now I can see the ridiculousness of this kind of charge, and it is beyond me how it is not obvious to everyone, but throughout the country prosecutors are getting doctors convicted using this technique. Dr. Joshi has at least pleaded not guilty and trial is tentatively scheduled for April 2018.

Why was Dr. Joshi targeted? Now the government uses the “easy” method—check out the state prescription monitoring program and attack the doctor who is prescribing the most.  According to Federal investigators, Joshi ranked first in Lake County and ninth in Indiana for the number of prescriptions written for controlled substances. It’s obvious he was treating patients appropriately if the only way they could use “illegitimate medical purpose” against him was through a lying government agent.

The next day after Dr. Joshi was indicted, US Attorney Thomas L. Kirsch II, designated Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang as the coordinator for attacking more doctors in Indiana. The DOJ is going after jobs and money, and they’ve found that the easiest way to achieve both is to illegally attack doctors like Dr. Joshi.

Kirsch recognizes the fact that overdose deaths are rising in Northwest Indiana and the opioid epidemic is destroying communities. But doctors aren’t the cause. These government attacks on good doctors are the actual cause, and we need to work on putting these government perpetrators—the US Attorneys—causing an increased demand for illegal street drugs in prison, not the doctors treating patients who need them. What happened to the legitimate pain patients that Dr. Joshi treated when his certificate was revoked? They had to treat themselves with street drugs. THAT’s what is driving the opioid epidemic and even causing more addiction.

Addendum:

Dr. Joshi pleaded guilty in July, 2018 and was sentenced to 15 months. He was released from prison on June 6, 2020. He became active with the fight, joining Doctorsofcourage, but then struck out on his own with his own website and podcast, Daily Remedy.  He is one of the few doctors attacked who has had his license reinstated and is back working as a primary care physician.  He is also author of the book Burden of Pain: A Physician’s Journey through the Opioid Epidemic.

Addendum:

I have failed in my mission to end these attacks on doctors and pain patients. Through John Bevere’s book The Bait of Satan, I have figured out why—my lack of forgiveness to those who attacked me. As in Mark 11: 24-26:

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespassed. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.

And when you do not do the will of the Father, you are estranged from him and he will ignore you.  So we all must forgive the agents who attacked us in order for things to be made right through any of our works.

Jesus said

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

But we cannot lay down our lives for God unless we know Him well enough to trust Him. We must have the assurance that He would never do anything to harm us. He always looks out for what He knows is in our best interest. As a nation, those of us suffering from these attacks must understand that we are serving as God’s messengers of love.  We must forgive those who persecute us and love them instead, following God’s will for us. Then and only then will we see fruits from our labor.

So I hope that everyone who has suffered from what happened to Dr. Joshi can trust the Lord, forgive those who have hurt you, and help bring this country back to the God-fearing country that our forefathers founded. Then, and only then, can you be a part of the effort to stop these attacks. I look forward to that day.