CHARLESTON – A Kanawha County woman claims a doctor and two pharmacies got her hooked on highly addictive pain medicine.
Kimberly Strawhecker filed her complaint June 4 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Dr. Muhammed Samer Nasher-Alneam, BeeWell Pharmacy and Rite Aid Pharmacy.
“This case is an example of the scourge of the opioid epidemic,” attorney L. Dante diTrapano told The West Virginia Record. “Nasher prescribed the strongest pain medicine at maximum strength to a lady with no apparent pain issue and it destroyed her life. The pharmacies were complicit in the scheme.”
diTrapano
According to her complaint, Strawhecker suffered an apparent seizure while shopping in November 2009. She was taken Thomas Memorial Hospital’s emergency room, where she was treated by Nasher. He then referred Strawhecker to his office at The Neurology and Pain Clinic for follow-up care.
Strawhecker says Nasher prescribed various drugs to treat her condition, including high doses of Fentanyl and Levitiracetam, which is an anti-convulsant. The prescriptions were filled by BeeWell and Rite Aid.
She says Nasher prescribed various drugs to her for years “without reevaluating the dosage or necessity of these medications.”
In 2018, Nasher entered into a consent order with the West Virginia Board of Medicine and later was arrested on charges related to illegal distribution of controlled substances that were not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Nasher was indicted on multiple charges of selling, distributing and dispensing drugs such as hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, fentanyl and hydromorphone. He also was indicted on multiple counts of health care fraud, money laundering, international money laundering, maintaining a drug involved premises and maintaining an office to illegally distribute controlled substances.
He accepted a plea deal in August 2018 and pleaded guilty to one count of distributing drugs that were not for a legitimate medical purpose. He agreed to permanently surrender his medical license and Drug Enforcement Agency registration. He currently is being held in South Central Regional Jail on a U.S. Marshal detainer.
When Strawhecker learned of Nasher’s arrest, she stopped using the medications prescribed by him. She accuses the defendants of malpractice and negligence.
Strawhecker says the actions of the defendants caused her to suffer Fentanyl dependence, prolonged withdrawal symptoms, altered psychological status and other physical and psychological injuries. She seeks compensatory and punitive damages under the Medical Professional Liability Act as well as pre- and post-judgment interest, attorney fees, court costs and other relief.
She is being represented by diTrapano and Bradley D. Dunkle of Calwell Luce diTrapano in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 20-C-453