Jun.16, 2010, 08:28

The case of fatal drug overdose, which affected about 68 patients, was sent to the jurors on Tuesday. In this case, a doctor and his wife have been accused of infesting fatal overdoses by overprescribing pain medication to the patients.

Prosecution in the closing comments stated that Stephen Schneider and his wife Linda were running a "Burger King for pain pill addicts". On the other hand, the defenders argue that the court was exaggerating the case.

The already heated arguments going on in this area regarding medical treatment of pain has ignited even more with this case. Also, the high number of deaths that occurred after the incident has added to the conflict.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Treadway said: "This is a sordid tale of how money and not medicine controlled the defendants' actions". She added that the defendants were operating a pill mill and that it was not a legal practice.

On the other hand, defense attorneys said that the case was hyped by the insurance companies as they were saving themselves from expensive medication that Dr. Schneider prescribed to the comparatively deprived people.

Kevin Byers, the attorney for Linda Schneider, said that the case is that of reimbursement for maximum insurance and that the practice by the doc couple has been overblown to look like death machine.

The charges on the couple are of unlawfully prescribing narcotics, healthcare scam and money “laundering” and if convicted, both will face lifetime in prison.