Montana medical professional discovered guilty in overdose deaths of 2 patients

up to date 3:11 pm, Monday, November 20, 2017

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during this Jan. 20, 2016 image, former western Montana general practitioner Chris Christensen, is pictured in court in Hamilton, Mt. Christensen turned into found responsible Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, to 22 felonies, including two counts of negligent murder for the overdose deaths of two patients. He also changed into found guilty of 9 counts of criminal endangerment and 11 counts of distribution of dangerous medicine. His sentencing is decided for Dec. 27, 2017. (Perry Backus/The Ravalli Republic by way of AP) less during this Jan. 20, 2016 picture, former western Montana health professional Chris Christensen, is pictured in court in Hamilton, Mt. Christensen changed into discovered responsible Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, to 22 felonies, together with two counts of ... more photograph: Perry Backus, AP

Montana medical professional found guilty in overdose deaths of two patients

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HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) — A western Montana ache medical professional changed into discovered responsible Monday of 22 felonies, together with two counts of negligent murder for the overdose deaths of two of his patients.

Chris Christensen, 69, additionally become found guilty of 11 counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and nine counts of crook endangerment. Christensen remains free on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing set for Dec. 27.

Prosecutors alleged Christensen overprescribed opiates and other drugs in bad combinations and may have favourite he became inserting patients in danger as a result of 5 of his sufferers in Idaho died and 6 others have been hospitalized in the 1990's because of overdoses.

He gave up his scientific license in Idaho for two years, beginning in 2001, and underwent a six-month pain administration direction.

"He came visiting here, and once he acquired his DEA license again in 2011, he immediately begun the identical conduct, and inside six months had his first overdose demise," Ravalli County attorney invoice Fulbright informed KGVO-AM.

Christensen changed into charged with the deaths of Greg Griffin and Kara Philbrick-Lenker.

protection lawyer Josh Van de Wetering argued Christensen turned into a compassionate healthcare professional who prescribed medication to ease sufferers' struggling.

"We argued, and should proceed to argue, that Dr. Christensen actually didn't commit any crook acts, although one believes that his prescriptions were erroneous, that would not constitute a criminal offense," Van de Wetering mentioned Monday.

He introduced that Christensen "changed into now not the one accountable for individuals's deaths, and he didn't endanger anyone effectively through writing prescriptions."

Fulbright stated the highest sentence in the case is over four hundred years.

Van de Wetering spoke of an appeal is deliberate after Christensen is sentenced.

The case stemmed from complaints from others in the clinical neighborhood that Christensen become overprescribing ache medicine. Some pharmacists refused to fill his prescriptions.

"There changed into focus from the scientific neighborhood that Dr. Christensen become an outlier," Fulbright observed.

His sanatorium become raided in April 2014 and his license turned into suspended.

He changed into issued a probationary license in can also 2015, however became now not allowed to treat pain sufferers and became required to work under the supervision of a different health care provider.

The board discovered he later wrote a couple of prescriptions with out seeing patients and with out supervision. The Montana Board of scientific Examiners revoked Christensen's clinical license in January 2016 for practising drugs whereas his license was suspended.