Health dept: Patients of embattled pain doc must pick up records
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)- Hundreds of patients who were in the care of, now-suspended pain doctor Dr. Michael Cozzi, could have a difficult time retrieving their medical records from his office.
The Fort Wayne-Allen County Health Department said Tuesday, that Dr. Cozzi’s office would reopen temporarily so that patients could retrieve their medical records to continue their care.
When John Brown showed up to get his medical records he was told by a nurse that the office was “missing” anywhere between 500 to 600 files.
“I was kind of dumbfounded,” said Brown. “I need those files so I can get another doctor.”
When Brown asked where the files were, he said the nurse declined to comment further.
Newschannel 15 has learned those files were likely confiscated by federal agents for their investigation.
Cozzi was arrested March 22 after federal DEA agents raided two of his homes and properties on suspicion of criminal over-prescribing practices.
According to the Indiana attorney general’s office, Cozzi, the owner of FW Interventional Pain Management in Fort Wayne, prescribed more controlled substances than any other prescriber in Indiana over the last two years, including some 2 million doses of Oxycodone and 1.2 million doses of hydrocodone.
Days later, the state’s medical board suspended the doctor’s license.
A week after the investigation reached a head, the county health department on Tuesday issued a notice to Cozzi’s some 1,700 patients.
The health department said patients must go to Cozzi’s office at 2510 E. Dupont Road, to have their medical records faxed to their primary care physician in order to continue medical care.
According to Allen County Health Commissioner Dr. Deb McMahan in order for patients to obtain those records obtained by the DEA a physician has to request them.
“If you go to his office and they say they don’t have your records, the DEA’s legal process is that you go to your primary doctor and they will call the DEA and get your records,” said McMahan.
“The DEA will only release those medical records that they have, and I understand there’s about 6 or 700 of them, they will only release those to a physician. It’s not that they are trying to be difficult. That’s what they are bound to do by law.”
That could mean it would take a little bit longer to get ahold of those records, and for Brown that time is valuable.
“I’m getting a little nervous because I have a pain pump that’s supposed to be filled on Thursday,” said Brown. “And my pain meds are all up.”
Brown said he will manage the pain as best as he can.
“I guess I just deal with the pain as long as I can and go on from there,” he said.
The health department said Cozzi’s office will be open for Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. “for this purpose only.”
Patients should bring proof of identification and the name and contact information of their primary care physician with them to the office to have their medical records faxed over to their primary care physician.
Patients of Cozzi who do not have a primary care physician should obtain one so Cozzi’s staff may fax their records.