FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) – A former doctor from Fayetteville will likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison for writing hundreds of unnecessary prescriptions for pain pills, often to patients he never met, according to prosecutors.
Donovan Dixon, 51, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in federal prison, without the possibility of parole. Dixon was found guilty in April of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute oxycodone and 20 counts of unlawful distribution of oxycodone.
“Dr. Dixon was sentenced as a drug trafficker, which is exactly what he is. He wasn’t a medical professional who put the interest of his patients ahead of profit. He was a calculated cold-blooded drug dealer,” said Robert Higdon Jr., the U.S. Attorney for North Carolina’s Eastern District.
According to Higdon, Dixon ran a family practice in Pembroke and wrote prescriptions for oxycodone to patients after little to no physical exam, charging $200 cash per prescription.
Dixon was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Lawrence Cameron. During the trial, Higdon said, witnesses testified to having hundreds of prescriptions issued in their name, even though they’ve never met Dixon.
“He wrote more than 750 prescriptions that were not medically necessary,” Higdon said.
According to Higdon, in June 2013 the North Carolina Medical Board received a complaint from a pharmacist concerning Dixon, saying he prescribed excessive amounts of pain medication.
Dixon was reprimanded by the board, but another complaint was filed against him in a year later, according to Higdon. In 2015 his prescribing ability was limited by the medical board, prosecutors say.
An investigation by a DEA task force revealed Dixon to be one of the top oxycodone prescribers in North Carolina, Higdon said.
Higdon called Dixon’s prosecution and sentence a “warning shot” to any doctors, nurse practitioners or medical professionals who abuse their prescribing power to make a profit.
“When they become nothing more than drug dealers pushing these drugs out to the street then we have to take action,” said Higdon.
He said while Dixon’s case was the first of its kind handled by his office, it won’t be the last.
