Nashville dentist prescribed 100’s of pills to habitual drug user patient, then hired her to work in his practice

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Dentist Norman Cordice, who has practiced dentistry since 1982, has surrendered his license after the state board determined he was guilty of:

  • Prescribing controlled substances for an habitual drug user in the absence of substantial dental justification.
  • Failed to check the Controlled Substance Monitoring Database prior to prescribing controlled substances
  • Pre-signing blank prescription slips and leaving them in the office wherein patient/employee used one of the slips to write herself a prescription for Percocet.
  • Failed to maintain an accurate and legible written evaluation and treatment history for each patient..

Dr. Cordice operated “Emergency Dental Clinic” at 3803 Hydes Ferry Road in Bordeaux. The investigation began when Cordice referred a patient to an oral surgeon for an impacted molar, and then treated the patient for a dry socket 5-6 times post referral. The oral surgeon had stopped prescribing pain medication to the patient, and Norman Cordice then began prescribing pain medications to the patient, who was an habitual drug user, without checking the state database.

Four months after the original referral, the patient was then hired by the dentist, to work as a dental assistant in his office. From March 2017 to August 2017, which covered parts of the patient’s employment by Dentist Norman Cordice, he had prescribed the following to the patient:

  • 340 pills 7.5mg Hydrocodone
  • 420 pills Oxycodone 7.5mg
  • 50 pills Tylenol w/Codeine

The dentist admits he never checked the substance abuse registry before prescribing any of the pills to the patient/employee. Cordice further admits that he left pre-signed prescription slips at the office, and the patient/employee admits to using one of the pre-signed slips to write herself a prescription for an additional 7.5mg Percocet x 20 pills, for which she was arrested.

Cordice will voluntarily surrender his dentist license, and pay up to a $2,000 fine.

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