A southern California anesthesiologist has lost the ability to prescribe controlled substances after a federal investigation uncovered his alleged role in a scheme to sell the addictive painkiller Vicodin illegally.

While working at the Hills Surgical Institute in Anaheim Hills, Calif., anesthesiologist Scott Bickman, MD, allegedly let surgeon Harrell Robinson, who owned the outpatient facility, use the anesthesiologist's prescription number to order large quantities of drugs containing hydrocodone. Dr. Robinson paid Dr. Bickman $2,000 a month for the use of his DEA number and sold the drugs to a clinic in Santa Ana for $10,000 a month, according to DEA documents. The scheme allegedly lasted from late 2007 until October 2008.

n 2009, Dr. Robinson lost his DEA prescribing license and agreed to surrender his medical license. That same year, he was also accused of performing unwanted plastic surgery procedures on a patient.

A spokeswoman for the California Medical Board tells the OC Register that Dr. Bickman could also face disciplinary action based on the DEA's revocation of his prescribing registration. In the revocation document issued against Dr. Bickman, DEA officials conclude that he "has not accepted responsibility for his misconduct and that misconduct manifests an egregious disregard for his responsibilities as a DEA registrant."

Irene Tsikitas