Vestavia Hills Doctor Charged In Federal Pill Mill Investigation

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL — A Vestavia Hills doctor has been charged with illegally prescribing controlled substances in connection with a federal pill mill case, according to AL.com. Steven Bruce Hefter, 60, is charged with one count of conspiracy to dispense and distribute schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, methadone and hydrocodone, without legitimate medical purpose.

Though Hefter was a cardiologist, he worked from 2012 to 2015 as a pain management physician for a closed clinic in Moody that was investigated for its practices of overprescribing schedule II controlled substances for profit.

Prosecutors filed a plea agreement with Hefter, under which he will have to surrender his Alabama medical license, as well as his state and federal certifications to prescribe controlled substances, pending the approval of a federal judge. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)