[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39668-39669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19257]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[Docket No. 96-7]


David R. Nahin, M.D.; Revocation of Registration

    On November 9, 1995, the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), issued an 
Order to Show Cause to David R. Nahin, M.D., (Respondent) of Waukesha, 
Wisconsin, notifying him of an opportunity to show cause as to why DEA 
should not revoke his DEA Certificate of Registration, AN7645229, under 
21 U.S.C. 824(a), and deny any pending applications for renewal of such 
registration as a practitioner under 21 U.S.C. 823(f), for the reason 
that his continued registration would be inconsistent with the public 
interest.
    On November 27, 1995, the Respondent, through counsel, filed a 
timely request for a hearing, and the matter was docketed before 
Administrative Law Judge Mary Ellen Bittner. However, on January 19, 
1996, the Government filed a Motion for Summary Disposition and to Stay 
Proceedings with copies of supporting documents. Specifically, the 
Respondent voluntarily had surrendered his medical license pursuant to 
a copy of the State of Wisconsin, Medical Examining Board's (Medical 
Board) Final Decision and Order dated April 28, 1993. Further, pursuant 
to an order of the Medical Board's dated August 9, 1994, the Respondent 
was granted a limited medical license which precluded him from having 
physician-patient contact. Also, a letter dated September 27, 1994, 
from the State of Wisconsin, Department of Regulation and Licensing, 
informed DEA that, ``while Dr. Nahin is not prohibited from holding a 
DEA registration, use of the registration in prescribing medications 
would constitute a violation of his limited license.''
    The Respondent was afforded an opportunity to respond to the 
Government's motion on or before February 5, 1996, but no response was 
filed.
    On February 15, 1996, Judge Bittner issued her Opinion and 
Recommended Decision, (1) finding that the Respondent, practicing 
medicine under

[[Page 39669]]

a limited license in Wisconsin, lacked authorization to handle 
controlled substances there, (2) granting the Government's Motion for 
Summary Disposition, and (3) recommending that the Respondent's DEA 
Certificate of Registration be revoked. Neither party filed exceptions 
to her decision, and on March 15, 1996, Judge Bittner transmitted the 
record of these proceedings and her opinion to the Deputy 
Administrator.
    The Deputy Administrator has considered the record in its entirety, 
and pursuant to 21 CFR 1316.67, hereby issues his final order based 
upon findings of fact and conclusions of law as hereinafter set forth. 
The Deputy Administrator adopts, in full, the decision of the 
Administrative Law Judge. The Drug Enforcement Administration cannot 
register or maintain the registration of a practitioner who is not duly 
authorized to handle controlled substances in the State in which he 
conducts his business. See 21 U.S.C. 823 (f) (authorizing the Attorney 
General to register a practitioner to dispense controlled substances 
only if the applicant is authorized to dispense controlled substances 
under the laws of the state in which he or she practices); 802(21) 
(defining ``practitioner'' as one authorized by the United States or 
the state in which he or she practices to handle controlled substances 
in the course of professional practice or research); and 21 U.S.C. 
824(a)(3) (authorizing the Attorney General to revoke a registration 
upon as finding that the registrant ``has had his State license or 
registration suspended, revoked, or denied by competent State authority 
and is no longer authorized by State law to engage in * * * dispensing 
of controlled substances * * *''). This prerequisite has been 
consistently upheld. See Dominick A. Ricci, M.D., 58 FR 51,104 (1993); 
James H. Nickens, M.D., 57 FR 59,847 (1992); Roy E. Hardman, M.D., 57 
FR 49,195 (1992); Myong S. Yi, M.D., 54 FR 30,618 (1989); Bobby Watts, 
M,D., 53 FR 11,919 (1988).
    Here, it is clear and undisputed that the Respondent currently is 
not authorized to handle controlled substances in Wisconsin. Likewise, 
since the respondent lacks state authority to handle controlled 
substances, DEA lacks authority to continue his registration.
    Judge Bittner also properly granted the Government's motion for 
summary disposition. The parties did not dispute that the Respondent 
was unauthorized to handle controlled substances in Wisconsin, the 
state in which he conducts his practice. Therefore, it is well-settled 
that when no question of fact is involved, a plenary, adversary 
administrative proceeding involving evidence and cross-examination of 
witnesses is not obligatory. Dominick A. Ricci, M.D., 58 FR at 51,104; 
see also Philip E. Kirk, M.D., 48 FR 32,887 (1983), aff'd sub nom Kirk 
V. Mullen, 749 F.2d 297 (6th Cir. 1984); Alfred Tennyson Smurthwaite, 
M.D., 43 FR 11,873 (1978); NLRB v. International Association of Bridge, 
Structural and Ornamental Ironworkers, AFL-CIO, 549 F.2d 634 (9th Cir. 
1977).
    Accordingly, the Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement 
Administration, pursuant to the authority vested in him by 21 U.S.C. 
823 and 824, and 28 CFR 0.100 (b) and 0.104, hereby orders that DEA 
Certificate of Registration AN7645229, previously issued to David R. 
Nahin, M.D., be, and it hereby is, revoked, and any pending application 
for renewal of such registration is hereby denied. This order is 
effective August 29, 1996.

    Dated: July 24, 1996.
Stephen H. Greene,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-19257 Filed 7-29-96; 8:45 am]
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