Kennard Kobrin, M.D., Revocation of Registration

On June 28, 2004, the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), issued an Order to Show Cause to Kennard Kobrin, M.D., (Respondent) of Fall River, Massachusetts, notifying him of an opportunity to show cause as to why DEA should not revoke his DEA Certificate of Registration AK8615013 as a practitioner pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 824(a)(2), (3) and (4), and deny any pending applications for renewal or modification of that registration pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 823(f). As a basis for revocation, the Order to Show Cause alleged that Respondent had been convicted of three state felony counts, which involved illegal prescribing of a controlled substance and Medicaid fraud. As a part of his sentence, the court ordered Respondent to cease prescribing any medications for two years, effective August 28, 2003. Therefore, the Government alleged that Respondent was no longer authorized to handle controlled substances in Massachusetts, his state of practice and DEA registration.

Respondent, through counsel, timely requested a hearing in this matter and Presiding Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner (Judge Bittner) issued an Order for Prehearing Statements. After various motions had been filed and addressed by Judge Bittner, on November 22, 2004, the Government filed its Request for Stay of Proceedings and Motion for Summary Disposition (Motion). In that Motion it was asserted that the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (Medical Board) had revoked Respondent's license to practice medicine in that state, effective December 17, 2004, and that as a result, he was no longer authorized to handle controlled substances in the state where he is registered with DEA. Attached to the Government's Motion was a copy of the Medical Board's Final Decision & Order, dated November 17, 2004, revoking Respondent's Massachusetts medical license as of December 17, 2004.

On November 29, 2004, Judge Bittner issued an order affording Respondent an opportunity to respond to the Government's Motion. On December 13 and 14, 2004, Respondent filed his response, objecting to a summary disposition of the proceeding and requesting an indefinite stay. In it, he argued that his state criminal convictions and the Medical Board's revocation order were then-pending appear and they should not be used as a basis for adverse action on his DEA registration. However, Respondent did not deny that as of December 17, 2004, he was no longer licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts.

On December 27, 2004, Judge Bittner issued her Opinion and Recommended Decision of the Administrative Law Judge (Opinion and Recommended Decision). In it, she granted the Government's Motion, finding Respondent lacked authorization to handle controlled substances in his state of DEA registration and she recommended that his registration be revoked.

No exceptions were filed by either party to the Opinion and Recommended Decision and on February 2, 2005, the record of these proceedings was transmitted to the Office of the DEA Deputy Administrator.

The Deputy Administrator has considered the record in its entirety and pursuant to 21 CFR 1316.67, hereby issues her final order, based upon findings of fact and conclusions of law as hereinafter set forth. The Deputy Administrator adopts, in full, the Opinion and Recommended Decision of the Administrative Law Judge.

The Deputy Administrator finds Respondent currently holds DEA Certificate of Registration AK8615013 as a practitioner and that on November 17, 2004, the Massachusetts Medical Board revoked his license to practice medicine in that state, effective as of December 17, 2004. That action was predicated on Respondent's criminal convictions which under Massachusetts law, either undermined the public's confidence in the integrity of the medical profession or showed Respondent's lack of moral character.

The Deputy Administrator therefore finds Respondent is not currently licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts and lacks authorization to handle controlled substances in that state.

DEA does not have statutory authority under the Controlled Substances Act to issue or maintain a registration if the applicant or registrant is without state authority to handle controlled substances in the state in which he conducts business. See 21 U.S.C. 802(21), 823(f) and 824(a)(3). This prerequisite has been consistently upheld. See Stephen J. Graham, M.D., 69 FR 11,661 (2004), Dominick A. Ricci, M.D., 58 FR 51,104 (1993); Bobby Watts, M.D., 53 FR 11,919 (1998).

Here, it is clear Respondent is not currently licensed to handle controlled substances in Massachusetts, the jurisdiction in which he holds a DEA registration. Therefore, he is not entitled to registration in that state.

Accordingly, the Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, pursuant to the authority vested in her by 21 U.S.C. 823 and 824 and 28 CFR 0.100(b) and 0.104, hereby orders that DEA Certificate of Registration AK8615013, issued to Kennard Kobrin, M.D., be, and it hereby is, revoked. The Deputy Administrator further orders that any pending applications for renewal or modification of such registration be, and they hereby are, denied. This order is effective July 7, 2005.