Press release from the Munich District Court
Doctor shopping leads to conviction
The Munich District Court sentenced a 65-year-old retiree to a suspended sentence of one year and seven months on July 26, 2022. The retiree had obtained prescriptions for narcotics in 21 cases and committed fraud as well as unauthorized possession of narcotics in a significant quantity.
Between February 2016 and December 2019, the convicted visited seven different doctors in Munich and had fentanyl patches prescribed, which are used to treat severe pain. In doing so, he concealed each time that he had already received similar prescriptions from other doctors. By falsely claiming, for example, that he needed the medication for his stay on an oil platform, he redeemed the prescriptions and thus caused a total damage of 20,777 euros.
In his defense, the retiree argued that he needed the medication due to persistent pain after surgery. The court recognized his confession and the original purpose of pain treatment as mitigating circumstances. On the other hand, the seriousness of the offense was evident due to the dangerous nature of the obtained narcotic and the economic as well as health damage caused.
The conviction took into account the defendant's advanced age and his now achieved abstinence from narcotics, making a prison sentence unnecessary to prevent further crimes.
Source: Munich District Court, verdict of July 26, 2022, reference number as specified in podcast description. The verdict is final.
