Doctor pleads not guilty in opioids case

Cox accused of overprescribing medication, lying to investigators

FAYETTEVILLE — A doctor pleaded not guilty Wednesday to overprescribing opioids and lying to investigators Wednesday, and the state’s medical board suspended her medical license.

Robin Ann Cox, 63, was arraigned in Fort Smith before Judge Mark E. Ford, court documents show. Her bond was set at $10,000.

The Arkansas State Medical Board voted unanimously Wednesday to suspend Cox’s medical license in an emergency order, according to documents available on the board’s website.

A federal grand jury indicted Cox, who practiced at Arkansas Medical Clinic, 615 W. Oak St. in Rogers, on one count of prescribing without a legitimate medical purpose outside the scope of a professional practice and one count of willfully and knowingly making a false statement to federal investigators.

Investigators found Cox prescribed 214,050 tablets of oxycodone from May 2018 to September 2019, and 90% of patients she prescribed controlled substances to during the time received a prescription for at least one opioid, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office. Cox is accused of making false statements to Drug Enforcement Administration agents regarding the legitimacy of prescriptions bearing her signature, according to the news release.

Cox was arrested Tuesday and taken to the Washington County Detention Center about 4:30 p.m. and was released about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the jail’s website.

The Medical Board has been investigating Cox for several months, Kevin O’Dwyer, attorney for the board, said Tuesday.

The board in 1994 found Cox had been practicing medicine without a license. The board voted to issue her a temporary license with the intention of issuing her a permanent one after one year, if her performance was deemed satisfactory after being proctored by another doctor and reporting to the board quarterly. Cox was granted the permanent license in 1995. O’Dwyer said

he was unaware of any other board investigations or incidents concerning Cox since 1995.

Cox’s trial is set for Dec. 9 in Fort Smith before Judge P.K. Holmes III. James Pierce, a federal public defender, is representing Cox, according to court records.