INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Medical Licensing Board voted Thursday to postpone the disciplinary licensing hearing regarding the state’s complaint against Dr. Lea Marlow’s medical license. Marlow will remain on summary suspension for the next 90 days.

Marlow, who worked at the now-closed Clark County Wellness Center in Jeffersonville, Ind., did not appear at the scheduled hearing Thursday in Indianapolis, and instead submitted a letter asking to surrender her medical license. In the letter, she did not object to any postponement of the summary suspension.

The Medical Licensing Board will consider the status of Marlow’s license at a future meeting, not yet scheduled.  Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office was ready Thursday to present the state’s case and offer evidence to show Marlow’s overprescribing of addictive controlled substances. 

“Dr. Marlow’s prescribing practices were well outside of what is considered medically safe and appropriate,” said Deputy Attorney General Gabrielle Owens, Deputy Director of the Attorney General’s Licensing Enforcement and Homeowner Protection Unit.  “Although the physician has offered to surrender her license, the board can consider the evidence and ultimately determine what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken.”

In December of 2012, the board voted to temporarily suspend Marlow’s license and the Attorney General’s Office subsequently filed a formal licensing complaint against Marlow.  The summary suspension will remain in effect for an additional 90 days.

Since January of last year, Marlow prescribed more than 8,000 prescriptions for 3,489 patients – with more than 95 percent receiving oxycodone. Owens said virtually all Marlow’s patients receive identical treatment in the form of oxycodone and diazepam prescriptions.

According to the filing, the Jeffersonville pain clinic did not accept payment from private insurance companies or government entitlement programs and instead operated as a “cash-only” business.

The disciplinary licensing action filed by the Attorney General’s Office takes place as the Indiana General Assembly is considering legislation to combat pain clinics that overprescribe addictive narcotic painkillers and put patients at risk. Senate Bill 246, which imposes various new requirements on such clinics, passed unanimously in the Indiana Senate on Monday and advanced to the Indiana House. The legislation was recommended by Attorney General Zoeller, who chairs the state’s Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force.

NOTE: The Indiana Medical Licensing Board’s Summary Suspension Order against Dr. Lea Marlow, issued December 20, 2012, is attached.

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