Dr. Tobias Bacaner allegedly prescribed dangerous opioids at the cash-only Paragon Clinic in New Port Ritchey
Patients would often fill their prescriptions at the nearby Cobalt Pharmacy, which Bacaner co-owned
Between 2013 and 2019, at least 16 people died from some form of drug toxicity after Bacaner prescribed them dangerous opioids
The U.S. Justice Department has now filed a civil lawsuit against the doctor
Dr. Tobias Bacaner was known in New Port Richey for prescribing opioids.
At the cash-only clinic along U.S. 19 where he worked, Bacaner routinely prescribed patients painkillers, tranquilizers and muscle relaxers. Many patients would then fill those prescriptions at a nearby pharmacy he owned, according to a federal civil lawsuit filed February. That suit, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, claims that Bacaner, who has been a licensed physician in Florida since 1990, may be responsible for as many as 16 drug overdose deaths.
Bacaner prescribed Oxycodone more than any other controlled substance, often at the highest strength possible of 30 milligrams, according to the lawsuit. A national prescription database published by ProPublica shows that while Oxycodone was Bacanerâs most prescribed drug, for his peers it was on average their 59th most prescribed drug.
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that the U.S. filed a civil complaint seeking to permanently enjoin the owners of a Tampa, Florida, clinic and pharmacy for illegally selling opioids to at-risk patients.
Dr. Tobias Bacaner, a licensed medical doctor, allegedly wrote illicit prescriptions for patients who had shown signs of addiction and drug misuse, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Along with business partners Theodore and Timothy Ferguson, Bacaner allegedly distributed opioids such as oxycodone from the cash-only Paragon Clinic, while also filling “medically illegitimate” prescriptions at the jointly owned Cobalt Pharmacy, according to court documents.