Doctor gets 30 years to life in landmark prosecution over patient OD deaths
A former California physician was sentenced Friday to 30 years to life in a landmark Los Angeles drug prosecution.
Dr. Hsiu-Ying “Lisa” Tseng, 46, gave up her license to practice medicine in 2012, after she was charged in three patient overdose deaths. Prosecutors say her second-degree murder case is the first time a U.S. physician has been convicted of murder for overprescribing to patients, according to KTLA and the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.).
The case has had a chilling effect on other doctors throughout the U.S. who prescribe pain medication, according to Tseng’s lawyer, Peter Osinoff. He told the judge that primary care physicians are declining to treat chronic pain patients.
“The doctors are scared out of their minds,” Osinoff told the Los Angeles Times. “The pendulum has swung so far. The people who need [pain medication] can’t get it now.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Doctor convicted of murder in patient OD deaths; case may be first successful US prosecution”
