JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A doctor accused of overprescribing drugs and sexually exploiting patients was back in court Tuesday for day two of his federal criminal trial.
For a second day, jurors heard former female patients describe their experiences at Dr. Scott Hollington's Sawgrass Health Clinic in St. Augustine.
Hollington has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of conspiracy, drug distribution and obstruction of justice. His attorney portrayed the doctor as dedicated to helping his patients overcome addiction, and even helping pay for their treatment when they couldn't afford it.
Prosecutors, however, say he exploited vulnerable people and used prescription drugs as a tool to achieve his sexual aims.
“He’s definitely the poster board for ‘Pay for it, you get it,’” one former patient told jurors. “I think it’s terrible, and I hope no woman has to go through that ... again, I should say.”
Prosecutors showed jurors videos of undercover DEA agents at Hollington’s clinic getting prescriptions for controlled substances like Adderall without medical evaluation or a demonstrated legitimate need. One agent asked for "as much" Adderall as he could get, something Hollington passed along in a conversation with a nurse practitioner who would ultimately fill the prescription.
“He said, ‘How much will you give me?’” Hollington told her. The colleague, on speakerphone, laughs. “That’s fine, I can work with that," she says.
Hollington did ask the undercover agent to take a urine test, which is a legal requirement before dispensing controlled substances, but said, “Truthfully we don’t care what the results of the urine test are, we are required to do.” The agent left without providing a urine sample.
(Because cameras are not permitted in federal court, and case evidence is not made public, the undercover videos can only be viewed in the courtroom.)
A former female patient spent hours on the witness stand, describing Hollington's actions, which she said did more harm than good. She described Hollington’s Ponce de Leon Boulevard office as dingy and unprofessional, with the doctor going barefooted and keeping odd hours – including Sunday appointments.
She also testified about Hollington’s inappropriate behavior, including asking if she had a “sugar daddy,” or telling her how he lost his virginity. Prosecutors showed jurors a text messages he sent her at 10:14 pm on a Saturday night after an appointment that said, “It was so nice to see you.”
But the witness’ chief complaint was the number of unnecessary drugs she said Hollington prescribed. A recovering addict, she had gotten clean taking methadone. But when she went to Hollington for Adderall, she was also prescribed Klonopin, Prozac, Valium and Ambien – the latter of which she has become dependent on.
“I literally can’t sleep without it,” she testified. “It was an unnecessary addition to what I was already on.”
When Hollington’s attorney Falgatter suggested his treatment may have been a response to her “complicated” medical history as a former addict, she replied, “My medical history is so much more complicated now, after seeing Dr. Hollington.”
Another former female patient testified she went to Hollington initially for pain medication, but was prescribed Clonazepam (an antianxiety drug) and buprenorphine, which is used to help heroin addicts get clean – something she wouldn’t learn until much later.
“At the time I thought it was for pain,” she testified.
That patient told jurors Hollington asked to meet her outside his office, and the two ultimately went to the St. Augustine Outlet Mall and Denny’s before going to a room he’d reserved at the Best Western. She testified he performed a sexual act on her and gave her some cash, covering the cost of subsequent appointments, “because of what we did.”
The trial is expected to last into next week.
