Pubdate: Wed, 23 Jan 2002
Source: Daily Independent, The (KY)
Copyright: 2002 The Daily Independent, Inc
Contact:  http://www.dailyindependent.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1573
Author: Mike James

Portsmouth Woman Suing Suspended Lewis County Doctor

OVER-PRESCRIBED DRUGS KILLED SON, SUIT ALLEGES

COVINGTON - A Portsmouth woman is blaming a suspended Lewis County doctor 
for her son's death, according to federal court documents.

Patricia Powers filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in 
Covington alleging that Dr. Fortune Williams was negligent in 
over-prescribing drugs to her son, Anthony Stiltner, who died Aug. 31 at 
the age of 29.

The suit alleges that Williams prescribed painkillers, including 
hydrocodone, for Stiltner 34 times between Oct. 16, 2000 and Aug. 27, 2001.

The suit seeks $1.5 million in compensatory damages.

Stiltner died in Scioto County Jail of hypertensive heart disease, 
according to the suit.

He had just reported to the jail to serve a 90-day sentence for driving 
with a suspended license, Powers said.

"The autopsy records suggest the drugs caused his death," said Robert B. 
Newman of Cincinnati, Powers' attorney. "It was certainly below the 
standards of care to have prescribed drugs in those numbers and frequency."

Stiltner's blood pressure was checked in Williams' office in Garrison and 
found to be high, but Williams didn't treat it, Powers said.

When Stiltner went to Williams, originally for treatment of pain following 
a motorcycle crash, Williams prescribed the pain medication but nothing for 
blood pressure, she said.

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure suspended Williams' license Oct. 
30, saying his practice represented "an immediate threat" to Kentucky citizens.

The suspension was based on a review of patient records seized when state 
and local authorities raided Williams' pain management clinic in September.

The board found that Williams had written more than 46,000 prescriptions 
for controlled substances over an 81/2-month period without properly 
examining patients and without medical reason, and that he saw as many as 
30 patients per hour and spent only two or three minutes with each.

Newman said he hadn't been able to locate Williams to serve him with the 
suit. He plans to serve Williams at a hearing scheduled before the medical 
board April 9 and 10.

Williams couldn't be reached for comment, and an attorney representing him 
in the medical board matter said he didn't yet represent him in the suit.

The attorney, J. Fox Demoisey of Louisville, said Williams probably would 
be at the medical board hearing.

At that proceeding, a hearing officer will consider whether Williams' 
license should be revoked, Demoisey said. However, a final decision on 
revocation probably won't come for several months, he said.

Ron Burgess, an investigator for the state Attorney General's office, is 
"finishing up a final report" on his inquiry into Williams' case, according 
to Barbara Hadley Smith, a spokeswoman for the office.

Burgess will send his report to Cliff Duvall, commonwealth's attorney for 
Lewis and Greenup counties, who will decide whether to present the case to 
a grand jury, Hadley Smith said.

"It is not set for a grand jury at this time," she said Tuesday.
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