Opinion ID: 1729600
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Use of the Signature Stamp

Text: After receiving information from the confidential informant about the signature stamp, Newman and a DEA investigator collected prescriptions bearing Parker's name from several pharmacies in Omaha. Several prescriptions had a rubber stamp signature. The stamped prescriptions were for the following controlled substances: (Schedule III) Vicodin, Lorcet 10, and Tylenol #3, and (Schedule IV) Darvocet N100 and Triazolam .25. [1] After Newman and the DEA investigator collected the prescriptions, they made an unannounced visit to Parker's dental office to talk with Parker and Braun. Newman later testified that Parker was cooperative during the visit. Parker admitted to Newman that the rubber stamp existed. He told Newman that he and Braun created the stamp to alleviate any inconvenience for Braun's patients who needed controlled substances. Because Braun was not authorized to write prescriptions, Parker had to sign the prescriptions for Braun's patients. Parker explained at the hearing that there were times Braun needed Parker's signature when Parker was in the middle of a procedure. Parker stated that having to de-glove in the middle of a procedure and to re-glove after signing the prescription could be time consuming. The alternative was to have Braun's patients wait until Parker had finished his procedure. So, according to Parker, they used the rubber stamp with Parker's signature to facilitate things, just to move things along so patients wouldn't have to wait. Parker explained that the prescriptions were computer generated with his DEA number and that Braun would then use the rubber stamp to apply Parker's signature to the prescription. Parker told Newman that he initially provided direct supervision of all prescriptions requested by Braun. But once he became comfortable with Braun's prescribing habits, he no longer made contemporaneous reviews of every prescription Braun issued with the stamped signature. Parker later testified that he reviewed each prescription when it was written or, if not then, within 24 hours of the patient's visit. According to Newman, Parker acknowledged that Braun used the rubber stamp on occasions when Parker was out of the office. Parker testified that he regularly used the stamp himself. He also testified he did not know until shortly before his meeting with Newman that using the stamp could be an issue. He stated he was not aware of the problem until a pharmacy notified his office that investigators were pulling the stamped prescriptions. According to Parker, he and Braun immediately stopped using the rubber stamp upon learning of the problem.