Jeremy Thomas, DO, an orthopedic surgeon in Claremore, OK, was one of the doctors indicted last week in the marathon DOJ attack. Dr.Thomas was employed by the Premier Bone and Joint Specialists in Claremore and Hillcrest Medical Systems where he performed 12 procedures per week at the time of the raid in Nov, 2017, but lost his position with both organizations.

The Osteopathic Board of Examiners held an emergency meeting on Oct. 17, 2017. During the interview with board investigators, DEA agents and Dr. Thomas, Dr. Thomas allegedly said he developed depression after undergoing a hernia operation and used eight to 10 hydrocodone tablets per day. He also admitted to splitting prescriptions, mainly hydrocodone, with at least four patients. His medical license was suspended in December pending a hearing, which Dr. Thomas needed to request, but never did. The Osteopathic Board of Examiners sent a statement saying:

“The Osteopathic Board of Examiners takes all reports of physician abuse of alcohol or drugs seriously. A physician accused of violating the Osteopathic Medicine Act is entitled to a full hearing before the Board to answer the allegations against him. This Act strictly prohibits a physician prescribing controlled substances unless they are prescribed for a proper purpose.”

Last week he was indicted on one count drug conspiracy and 10 counts of distribution of hydrocodone with 5 former patient co-conspirators. One problem that I have with the “crime” that the DOJ has perpetrated is that they claim the prescriptions were outside Thomas’ scope of practice as a doctor of osteopathic medicine and orthopedic surgeon and were not issued for legitimate medical purposes. Since when is prescribing pain medicine not in the scope of practice of an orthopedic surgeon? And since, per the Controlled Substance Act §802(56)(c), only the doctor can determine legitimate medical purpose, the DOJ is stepping outside their scope of practice and practicing medicine without a license.

Another problem that I have is the actual manner of investigation. Supposedly (according to the media which I don’t really trust to tell the truth), this is what Dr. Thomas did. He allegedly prescribed the hydrocodone to patients, who would then have the prescriptions filled and delivered a predetermined number of tablets back to the doctor. The exchanges took place at various locations from the doctor’s office, to convenience stores, to Hillcrest Claremore Hospital. Then, supposedly when investigators questioned Dr. Thomas after reading him his rights, he admitted to writing the prescriptions to patients for hydrocodone pills with the understanding the patients would give him some of the pills in return. The government documents also say that Thomas gave investigators signed permission to search his phone.  I wonder how they accomplished that. Usually it is by lying to the target.  Did you know that it is illegal for a person to lie to a law enforcement officer, but a law enforcement officer can lie without repercussions?  My guess is they snookered him by telling him nothing would happen to him if he confessed, then they used the confession against him. That trick has been used against a lot of people sitting now in prison cells. Part of the win for the government was the seizure of his vehicle.

OK. Now it’s time for some serious discussion and comments. Here are the facts, as I’ve determined them.

1. Dr. Thomas admitted to the Osteopathic Board of Examiners that he was an “impaired physician”, meaning that he had an addiction problem.
2. The meeting with the Board of Examiners included Federal DEA agents. Whether Dr. Thomas knew that, I don’t know.
3. Dr. Thomas allegedly got pills back from 5 of his patients for his addiction.

Here is my evaluation of the case. Please comment on what you think.

Dr. Thomas is an impaired physician with a drug addiction. But does that make his action criminal and did he violate the CSA?  I say no. His action was unprofessional and he needs to be reprimanded by the board of medicine, but it is not criminal or a violation of the CSA. Usually when a physician admits to the board that he is impaired, the board handles the problem behind closed doors, requiring rehab and supervision of duties. Government agents should not be party to this arrangement, and usually aren’t.  There are many doctors sitting in NA groups for addiction, and they are still practicing.  The determination of whether his actions are criminal and a violation of the CSA would be based on whether the patients he prescribed to actually needed the prescriptions themselves for pain issues.

The fact that the Board of Medicine held a meeting with the doctor and included DEA agents just shows that Boards of Medicine are just arms of the government, and not supervisory bodies for the good of patient care.

Addendum:

Dr. Thomas pleaded guilty in November, 2018. Proof that all the government wants out of these plea deals is the ability to attack more physicians for more money is the statement by DA Matt Ballard when he says:

“This case clearly shows why we must re-double our efforts in the fight against opioid abuse.”

“Opioid abuse” here is synonymous with doctors. 

Dr. Thomas was sentenced to 5 months in prison and 8 months home confinement.  He should be free from all restrictions at this point, and should join Doctors of courage to stop these attacks on his colleagues in the future as well as find treatment for himself through the Seven Steps to Healing that I teach.

To end these attacks, restore pain management, and provide compensation to all the families that have been destroyed by government overreach, we must get the Controlled Substance Act repealed.  Join Doctorsofcourage to get that done. Learn what we teach and spread the word.  NO DRUG CAUSES ADDICTION!! Let’s end the War on Drugs, Doctors and Pain Patients, end the black market, solve the southern border crisis, and restore proper pain management.  It CAN be done! 

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. Thomas 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.