A Bellevue physician has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of controlled substances.
Court documents indicate that during 2007, Dr. Lawrence J. Gogenola, 58, was a Washington licensed and Board Certified dermatologist employed at Bellevue Dermatology Clinic in Bellevue. Between April 2007 through December 2007, on a monthly basis, Dr. Gogenola wrote prescriptions for 50 pill quantities of Percocet, containing oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, in the name of a third individual who was not a patient of Gogenola.
Gogenola wrote such prescriptions with the intent of unlawfully acquiring the drugs himself, court documents show.
On each occasion, Gogenola then traveled to a Bellevue pharmacy where he presented the prescriptions to the pharmacy claiming to be the third party in whose name the prescriptions were written. Between April and December, the pharmacy filled the prescriptions, delivering to Gogenola quantities of oxycodone, which Gogenola then unlawfully consumed.
On Dec. 21, 2007, Gogenola again presented such a prescription at the pharmacy. This time the pharmacist asked for identification. Gogenola left the pharmacy without producing any identification and the prescription was not filled.
The pharmacy attempted to contact Gogenola at his clinic to explain what had happened in regard to one of his patients. In reviewing the web site for the dermatology clinic, the pharmacist realized that the person who had presented the prescription in the name of the third party on Dec. 21 and left without producing identification, was Gogenola himself.
In January 2008, during an interview with DEA investigators, Gogenola acknowledged unlawfully writing all of the prescriptions in the name of the third party, and then consuming the drugs.
Gogenola has surrendered his DEA registration to authorities and is participating in drug treatment.
Sentencing for Gogenola is scheduled for August 25 before United States Magistrate Judge James P. Donohue in Seattle.
National statistics show an increasing level of diversion and abuse of pharmaceutical controlled substances. Oxycodone and Demerol are both highly addictive controlled substances.
