FL: Physician Agrees To $190,731 Settlement Relating To Controlled Substances Act Claims

Timothy Ramsden, of Panama City, Florida, practicing at The Anti-Aging Clinic of Northwest Florida, settled potential violations of the Controlled Substances Act by agreeing to pay a fine of $190,731 and surrendering his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration for Schedule II and IIN controlled substances for a period of five (5) years, along with compliance monitoring for a period of five (5) years.  The settlement was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

“In reaching this settlement, we emphasize the necessity of adhering to and enforcing the Controlled Substances Act,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “It is our duty to ensure the mandates of the Controlled Substances Act are upheld and that its limits are not abused by physicians.  Our office will continue to ensure compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and all federal laws regulating physicians.”

Dr. Ramsden entered into a civil settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. As part of the resolution, Dr. Ramsden will surrender his DEA registration for Schedule II and IIN controlled substances, not reapply for a period of at least five years, and pay a civil fine of $190,731. The investigation uncovered numerous potential civil violations of the Controlled Substances Act, including:

1. Failing to keep complete and accurate records;
2. Failing to properly document the biennial inventory;
3. Failing to record the number of units or volume of each finished form in each commercial container on the biennial inventory;
4. Failing to indicate the date received on two (2) invoices;
5. Failing to properly indicate the dispositions within the patient file;
6. Failing to document patient file where prescription for Testosterone Enanthate (5ML) Injectable was issued;
7. Issuing prescription for Oxandrolone to patient which was returned to Dr. Ramsden for his personal use.

In addition to the monetary penalties and surrender of his DEA Schedule II and IIN registration, Dr. Ramsden agreed to compliance terms for the next five (5) years, including record-keeping monitoring and uninterrupted visits from the DEA.

“An important part of DEA’s mission is to ensure all DEA registrants follow the federal laws set forth in the Controlled Substance Act, to include accurate inventorying, tracking, and recordkeeping to prevent the diversion of controlled substances. When medical professionals fail to comply with these laws, it puts our communities at risk,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA remains committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to hold registrants accountable and ensure our communities remain safe and healthy.”

This civil settlement agreement is not an admission of any liability by Dr. Ramsden, nor a concession by the United States that its potential claims were not well-founded.

Assistant United States Attorneys Mary Ann Couch, Kathryn Drey, and Marie Moyle represented the United States in this matter, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Program.

Press Release