A former Washington dentist pleaded not guilty to four counts of distributing a controlled substance.
Luke Edward St. Marie, of Renton, Wash., allegedly issued prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone under his credential but outside the scope of professional practice with no legitimate medical purpose, according to a Sept. 13 news release from the Justice Department. There are four alleged instances that took place between January 2018 and July 2018.
The Washington State Dental Commission suspended Mr. St. Marie's license in an agreed order in April 2021 after an investigation found that Mr. St. Marie wrote prescriptions outside of a provider-patient relationship, didn't properly document prescriptions, rewrote an altered prescription, didn't report that his prescription pad may have been compromised and didn't take necessary steps to ensure all prescriptions issued under his authority were valid.
Mr. St. Marie appeared in court for the charges Sept. 13. A trial for the charge is expected to begin Nov. 21. Distribution of controlled substances is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said.