A Prescription for Trouble
A Maryland dentist received a 10-year suspended sentence for illegally prescribing opioids to a former employee,highlighting the ongoing struggle with opioid abuse.
Dr.Andrew T.Fried, owner of Perry Hall Family Dental in nottingham, received a 10-year prison sentence in Baltimore county Circuit Court on Monday, with all but one day suspended, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced. He was also ordered to serve three years of probation.
Fried pleaded guilty to one count of distributing narcotics and one count of prescribing controlled dangerous substances outside the regular course of his duties as a dentist, according to prosecutors. The case raises serious questions about oversight and the potential for abuse within the healthcare system.
A Shared Supply
Court documents reveal a troubling pattern of behavior spanning from April 2022 until May 2025. Fried prescribed oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose to a former dental assistant who had worked at Perry Hall Family Dental. the pair then allegedly split the pills between themselves.
As part of his plea agreement,Fried admitted to purchasing oxycodone pills weekly from the dental assistant,who in turn obtained them from close family members. This created a dangerous cycle, diverting prescription drugs into the community.
“Every Marylander who sits in a dental chair should trust that they’re receiving competent, professional care,” Brown said in a statement.”This sentence protects Dr. Fried’s patients from further unsafe treatment and eliminates a source of opioids in our communities.”
- Dr. Andrew T.Fried was sentenced for illegally prescribing opioids.
- The illegal prescriptions were made to a former dental assistant.
- The pair split the pills between themselves,according to court documents.
- maryland
