GRAND RAPIDS – David D. Sova, D.O., of Grand Rapids entered into a settlement with the United States in which he agreed to a court order to never prescribe controlled substances. According to the terms of the consent decree entered by U.S. District Court Judge Jane M. Beckering, Dr. Sova is also ordered to pay $170,000 in civil penalties to resolve the United States’ allegations that he forged opioid prescriptions for his own use.
In its civil complaint, the United States alleges that Dr. Sova issued prescriptions for controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of professional practice in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. Specifically, the United States alleges that Dr. Sova issued prescriptions for the opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone purportedly written for one of his patients. However, this patient never received these prescriptions, as Dr. Sova arranged for them to be filled and collected for his own personal use.