Pennsylvania doctor charged with prescription fraud, pocketing patients' pills

Dr. Jessie Kunkel, 39, of Murrysville is accused of prescribing patients drugs, such as Adderall and Xanax, and keeping a portion of the pills for herself in exchange for writing the prescription, according to Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry.

Adderall is an amphetamine product normally used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In several cases, Kunkel, unknown to patients, continued to write, fill and pick up prescriptions after the patients no longer were receiving the drugs, Henry said. She frequently used former patients' health insurance to pay for the drugs, Henry said.

Kunkel also prescribed drugs for people with whom she had personal relationships, without ever evaluating them as a patient, and often overlooking potential health risks, according to Henry.

Henry said Kunkel "used her patients' identities to gain access to drugs for her own recreational use. Our office will hold accountable any health care professional who takes advantage of their position and puts people's safety at risk."

Kunkel was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Charles Conway in Export on multiple charges including: eight counts of acquisition of a controlled substance by fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge; five counts of ; five counts of possession with intent to deliver/ delivery of a controlled substance; five counts of possession of a controlled substance; and one count of insurance fraud.

She was released on $50,000 unsecured bond. She faces a March 15 preliminary hearing before Conway.

Online court documents didn't list an attorney for Kunkel.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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