11 deaths linked to psychiatrist

Eleven drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties have been linked to a Milwaukee psychiatrist who once held key posts at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a local veterans hospital, according to federal drug investigators.

Richard I.H. Wang, 79, is under investigation for prescribing dangerous levels of addictive painkillers such as OxyContin, Percocet and Valium, according to documents filed Friday in federal court in Milwaukee. Federal officials also suspect Wang of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, according to the documents. Wang, who has practiced medicine in Wisconsin for 40 years, has a history of complaints dating back to 1993.

The west side pharmacy that filled many of the prescriptions in question ordered more than 1,000% more of certain drugs from its supplier than others its size, the records show. The pharmacist there says he has contacted state licensing officials 10 times since 1998 about whether he should continue to fill Wang's prescriptions and was told it was fine.

In addition to the prescriptions, authorities are suspicious about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bills Wang submitted to Medicare and Medicaid. Wang generally spent very small amounts of time with each patient, yet submitted bills to the two federal programs indicating complex visits that lasted 40 minutes or more, according to court documents. Analysis of his bills shows that Wang claimed to have worked with Medicare and Medicaid patients for between 12 and 17 hours on at least six days in 2002 and 2003.In addition to the prescriptions, authorities are suspicious about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bills Wang submitted to Medicare and Medicaid. Wang generally spent very small amounts of time with each patient, yet submitted bills to the two federal programs indicating complex visits that lasted 40 minutes or more, according to court documents. Analysis of his bills shows that Wang claimed to have worked with Medicare and Medicaid patients for between 12 and 17 hours on at least six days in 2002 and 2003.