Maine Doctor Convicted of Multiple Counts of Illegal Opioid Distribution

PORTLAND, Maine – A Maine doctor who runs an addiction treatment center has been convicted of multiple counts of illegally distributing opioids, including oxycodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl.

Merideth Norris, 53, of Kennebunk, Maine, was found guilty in federal court Friday of distributing opioids from her office. According to court documents, she did so without a legitimate medical purpose and knowing that some patients were struggling with opioid addiction. She prescribed the medications, according to court documents, even after patients failed drug tests or were known to redistribute the medications in the community.

A federal jury convicted Norris of 15 counts of distribution of controlled substances and she faced up to 20 years on each count.

Prosecutors accused Norris of endangering the safety of his patients, according to the Portland Press Herald, and of not paying attention to warning signs such as failed drug tests among his patients or warnings from insurance companies about his prescribing dangerous combinations of opioids and other drugs.

His defense team tried to argue that Norris helped patients reduce their medications and that the charges ignored the complexity of treating people addicted to opioids and having trouble finding a doctor, the newspaper said.

Norris could not be reached for comment and his recovery center was closed on Saturday.

Norris has long faced scrutiny for her prescribing practices, including from pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions she wrote. Walmart pharmacies also issued a “central block,” or nationwide ban, on filling prescriptions written by Norris.