Opinion ID: 3153469
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Patient Experiences

Text: Eight of Dr. Azmat’s patients testified about their experiences at East Health Center. Seven described themselves as prescription pill addicts. The remaining patient–who was not addicted to pills–testified that the people she observed in the waiting room looked like drug addicts. Another patient observed that the people in the waiting room were noticeably medicated and “nodding out” in their seats. As to their meetings with Dr. Azmat, seven of the patients stated that their exams were cursory or lasted no more than ten minutes. Three patients testified that Dr. Azmat never touched them during the physical examination. He simply asked them about their pain or prescription history before writing them a new script. Dr. Azmat generally did not review the forms that the patients filled out before their exams or provide any warnings about the addictive nature of the prescribed medications. Dr. Azmat did not discuss treatment options other than narcotics. 15 Case: 14-13703 Date Filed: 11/10/2015 Page: 16 of 60 While two patients stated that Dr. Azmat failed to treat their high blood pressure or discuss any medical issues beyond their chronic pain, another patient testified that Dr. Azmat diagnosed a heart murmur and advised him to see a cardiologist. All but one of the patients had a legitimate injury, typically from a car accident or workplace accident that occurred years prior to the visit. After visiting East Health Center, one of the patients sought out a more reputable clinic and his new physician has continued to prescribe him oxycodone.