Dr. Michael Jessup pleads guilty in federal court to unlawfully prescribing pain pills

A Cape Girardeau area gynecologist pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to unlawfully prescribing pain pills.

A federal grand jury indicted Dr. Michael Jessup on Aug. 17 on a charge of dispensing controlled substances hydrocodone and alprazolam �outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.�

Sentencing is set for Feb. 19 in federal court in Cape Girardeau.

Jessup could be sentenced to a maximum 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or both, according to federal prosecutors.

The case stems from an undercover investigation, according to a 12-page plea agreement filed with the court.

The indictment charges that the unlawful prescribing of pain pills occurred in Scott County between Aug. 26, 2016, and Feb. 24, 2017.

On Aug. 26, 2016, an undercover drug task force officer visited Jessup, pretending to have pain similar to what people would experience with sciatica. �Many medical providers would not prescribe opioid pain killers for sciatica,� according to the court document.

During the initial visit, Jessup gave the undercover officer only �a cursory examination, diagnosed him with a �hip ailment� and stated he would try medications for a few months, but may eventually recommend physical therapy,� the plea agreement said.

Jessup never requested medical records, entered a diagnosis or formulated a treatment plan, the document said.

The officer had five follow-up visits. During those visits, Jessup �never asked how the hip was doing, never conducted a thorough physical exam, nor recommended X-rays, imaging or physical therapy,� according to the court filing.

Each visit was brief, lasting only a few minutes. The undercover officer each time requested and received higher dosages and/or more pills.

At each follow-up visit, the undercover officer took a urine test to detect the presence of controlled substances.

But while the officer was not using either of the prescribed drugs and did not test positive for the presence of either pain medication, Jessup never inquired as to why the officer was not using the medications and continued to increase the dosages, the plea agreement said.

�Dr. Jessup acknowledges he was on notice as to the appropriate procedures for handling and prescribing hydrocodone and alprazolam,� according to the agreement.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said medical providers should not prescribe both hydrocodone and alprazolam at the same time because of concerns about drug interaction and addiction.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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