License suspended for Lumberton doctor accused of doling out prescriptions to friends
A Lumberton orthopedic surgeon has had his state medical license suspended indefinitely on allegations he prescribed medications to five friends, including a romantic partner and an employee.
On Nov. 2, Eric Adam Breitbart M.D. entered into a consent order with the N.C. Medical Board, board records show.
According to the consent order, he reportedly sent letters to the Medical Board in February and July “acknowledging inappropriate prescribing” and in February placed his license on inactive status.
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The record claims that Breitbart never performed a medical examination of the individuals and did not keep proper records in the following cases:
From January 2019 to June 2020 he wrote his friend prescriptions for the weight-loss drug Phentermine. “The Board notes that Person A was already being treated for her weight loss and was already prescribed Phentermine by another provider and that Dr. Breitbart issued the prescriptions in question at Person A’s request to alleviate the costs of follow up visits,” the order states.
From March to May 2019 he prescribed three drugs to a woman he was romantically involved with, including medication "to have what she claimed to be a potential medical abortion. Dr. Breitbart also prescribed Percocet for pain associated with the abortion and Xanax to treat her existing anxiety and panic disorder," according to the order.
From July 2019 to May 2022 he prescribed Lunesta, a sleep aid, to an employee.
From July 2021 to October 2022, he prescribed Xanax to a friend knowing she would provide the medication to his romantic partner.
From April to July 2022 he prescribed Phentermine to a friend, knowing the individual would share it with his romantic partner.
The Medical Board found that Breitbart’s actions constituted unprofessional conduct and grounds to “annul, suspend, revoke, or limit Dr. Breitbart’s license to practice medicine or to deny any application he may make in the future.”
The order states Breitbart waived his rights to a hearing, judicial review or appeal in this case and that on the advice of legal counsel, he voluntarily entered into the consent order.
“Dr. Breitbart desires to resolve this matter without the need for more formal proceedings. The Board has determined that it is in the public interest to resolve this case as set forth below,” the order states.
Breitbart is ordered to obey all regulations involving the practice of medicine, meet with the board for an investigative interview and provide the board with information to show his compliance with the consent or risk further suspension, revocation, or annulment of his license.
According to the Board's records, Breitbart graduated in 2009 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School and had a residency for orthopedic surgery at Rutgers in 2014 and a fellowship for orthopedic sports medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. He was licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina in 2015.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Lumberton Dr. Eric Breitbart had his license suspended indefinitely
