Warren Doc's License Revoked For Prescribing Addictive Pain Meds

WARREN, NJ — A Warren anesthesiologist had her medical license permanently revoked for traveling weekly from Rhode Island to prescribe large amounts of addictive, opioid pain medications to New Jersey patients without a medical basis, according to Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.

Pramila Byahatti, who ran the Park Avenue Pain Management practice in Warren, has been out of practice since July under a State Board of Medical Examiners-ordered temporary suspension.

On Oct. 13, Byahatti agreed to the permanent revocation of her license as well as the payment of $50,000 in costs and penalties to resolve the allegations against her.

Byahatti reportedly saw about 45 patients prescribing them high dosages of fentanyl, oxycodone, and other opioids without conducting required medical or psychological examinations, properly monitoring their intake of controlled dangerous substance(CDS), and screening them for substance abuse issues, according to the state's complaint.

The drugs Byahatti was prescribing were more than four times stronger than the Center for Disease Control’s threshold, Grewal said.

Byahatti also wrote prescriptions that were more than 10 times the CDC threshold for three of her patients. Byahatti also regularly co-prescribed opioids with Xanax, Ambien or other drugs that, when combined with opioids, can result in coma and death, Grewal said.

"The COVID-19 emergency has created particular hardship for the very same residents who are most vulnerable to addiction, making our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic more important than ever," said Grewal. "We will take action against any licensee who tries to profit off of their patients’ health by recklessly prescribing opioid pain medications, putting them at risk of addiction, overdose, and death."

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.