A Spokane physician, Dr. Duncan Lahtinen, has agreed to pay $120,000 in civil penalties following allegations that he prescribed controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose or outside the usual course of his professional practice. The announcement was made by First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, between 2017 and 2025 Dr. Lahtinen wrote more than 1,400 prescriptions for controlled substances to thirteen patients. Many of these prescriptions involved combinations of opioids, benzodiazepines, sedatives, and carisoprodol—substances known for their high risk of abuse among individuals with substance use disorders. Authorities alleged that Dr. Lahtinen did not address several warning signs indicating potential substance abuse by his patients.
The federal government asserted that this conduct exposed Dr. Lahtinen to liability under both the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. He had previously faced sanctions from the Washington Department of Health on two occasions related to improper prescribing practices.
“Doctors are highly educated and sophisticated individuals who are trusted with the ability to prescribe controlled substances for legitimate medical purposes. When a doctor abuses that power, they trade all the principles of patient care and become drug dealers in white coats. The United States Attorney’s Office will investigate and hold accountable physicians who prescribe controlled substances in this manner,” said First Assistant Serrano.
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge at the DEA Seattle Field Division, stated: “DEA holds physicians who prescribe controlled substances to a very high standard so they do not become drug dealers with a medical license. Dr. Lahtinen failed to uphold this standard and DEA and our partners held him accountable.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McIntosh of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) added: “Physicians who distribute controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice undermine the ongoing public health efforts to address the opioid crisis and the safety and well-being of the public. HHS-OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to relentlessly investigate such allegations to protect patients, the public, and American taxpayers from this dangerous conduct.”
The settlement resulted from an investigation by multiple agencies including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Kelley managed the case on behalf of the federal government.
