Doctor accused of prescribing opioids for no medical reason

ST. LOUIS -- An eastern Missouri doctor has been indicted for allegedly prescribing fentanyl and other opioids to women with whom he had personal relationships.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said Monday 62-year-old Philip Dean of Warrenton also is accused of lying to Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Scott Collier of the DEA office in St. Louis said Dean had relationships with female patients and prescribed pain relief drugs without legitimate medical reasons. The DEA said in one case, Dean exchanged text and social-media messages sexual in nature with a woman before prescribing drugs.

The DEA said Medicaid paid $213,000 to provide fentanyl typically used by cancer patients to a woman who did not have cancer.

A phone call Monday seeking comment from Dean's medical office went unanswered.