Indicted Tennessee doctor ordered to stop seeing patients
NASHVILLE – A Middle Tennessee doctor who stands accused of drug dealing at a pill mill that once overflowed with patients has been ordered by a Nashville judge to stop practicing medicine altogether.
Dr. Samson Orusa, who owns a clinic in Clarksville, is now forbidden from seeing patients, writing prescriptions or supervising any nurse practitioners or other medical professionals, according to a court order from Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle.
The order goes further than prior restrictions, which forbade Orusa from prescribing opioids but allowed him to supervise others who could still write prescriptions.
Orusa, 56, a longtime Clarksville doctor and pastor, was indicted and arrested by federal authorities last year after an undercover investigation alleged he was prescribing opioids and other powerful medications without any safeguards. Federal court records contend that Orusa did not actually examine his patients, and that prescriptions were handed out en masse in what authorities have called “cattle calls.”
U.S. Attorney Don Cochran has said Orusa was simply a drug dealer motivated by greed.
“Dr. Orusa ran a pill mill that was prolific in terms of quantity of the drugs,” Cochran said. “As a medical professional, I would say, we targeted him early on, because he was one of the worst offenders.”
Similar allegations have come from the Tennessee Department of Health, who say in state documents they reviewed medical files from 34 of Orusa’ chronic pain patients and found all of their prescriptions were both unjustified and likely to lead to addiction.
The documents also say that state investigators visited Orusa’s clinic in 2014, finding it packed with so many patients that the waiting room was “standing room only.” On a second visit, investigators observed posted signage implying they would discharge anyone who complained about the wait.
“Dr. Orusa will be here when he gets here,” the sign said, according to the state records. “No we don’t know when that is so please stop asking. Also, once we have your prescriptions ready we will let you know, please stop asking. If all you feel the need to do is complain, there are other clinics that can treat you.”
Orusa has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently released while awaiting trial.
A federal judge ordered Orusa to stop writing all prescriptions back in December, but he could still see other patients or supervise a nurse practitioner, who in turn could write prescriptions on his behalf.
The new court order, which enacts tighter restrictions on Orusa, is in effect until his criminal court case is resolved. Orusa could potentially resume practicing medicine if the criminal case against him is dismissed or ends in acquittal.
Orusa has for about 20 years run a medical practice in Clarksville and been pastor at God’s Sanctuary Church International. Orusa attended medical school at the University of Benin in Nigeria and performed his residency at Columbia University in New York, according to a state licensing database.
Orusa allegedly wrote 66,353 prescriptions for addictive drugs, including opioids, from 2014 to 2017, according to federal court records. He is also accused of health care fraud, including some allegations in which he billed Medicaid for working more than 24 hours in a single day.
Orusa was previously indicted by federal prosecutors in another healthcare fraud case in 2005 but charges were dismissed in a diversion agreement after a seven-day trial in 2008.
Orusa’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.