Dr. Christopher Moses’ former office in south Tulsa. Photo courtesy of News On 6
A state medical board has issued an emergency order to suspend the medical license of a Tulsa doctor who investigators say is linked to 10 overdose deaths.
The Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners on Thursday issued an emergency order suspending Dr. Christopher Moses’ medical license pending a hearing. The order alleges Moses overprescribed controlled substances and the state’s chief medical examiner linked 10 deaths to medication he prescribed.
Moses could not be reached for comment on Monday morning. The answering message at his office, the Southside Medical Clinic at 8222 Harvard Ave., identified the clinic as Moses’ former office and is closed.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency raided Moses’ office in late January amid a joint investigation with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control. Both agencies’ offices were closed Monday for Presidents Day and could not be reached for comment.
The DEA began investigating Moses based on complaints the doctor was overprescribing narcotics, the Tulsa World reported earlier this month.
Evidence at the medical board’s emergency hearing last week, which Moses did not attend, indicated the doctor wrote 2,738 prescriptions for controlled substances between Oct. 1, 2017, to Jan. 1, 2018, according to the emergency order. Almost 80 percent of the prescriptions were for Schedule II drugs, which could include oxycodone, fentanyl or methadone.
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Moses’ office allegedly prescribed seven controlled substances to patients each hour, or 56 per day, the emergency order states. Prescriptions were allegedly filled at 138 pharmacies, according to the order.
In November 2017, medical board investigators reviewed 11 patient charts from Moses and found most were inadequate.
“The majority of charts indicated to a degree of medical certainty, inappropriate use of CDS (controlled substances),” the emergency order states. “The charts also lack sufficient compliance with the Board’s rules on prescribing for chronic pain.”
Deborah Bruce, executive director of the Osteopathic Board, said she could not discuss specific cases. The board typically issues one to four emergency orders each year, she said.
Bruce said a doctor is legally entitled to a hearing before the board can take permanent action on his or her license. Moses has 30 days after the emergency order to request a hearing with the board. A license could be revoked, suspended further or the board could choose to take no action.
Moses’ registration statuses with the DEA and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control were in good standing as of Thursday, according to the order.
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