GHASTLY CASE

THE VAST majority of West Virginia physicians are conscientious
practitioners, doing their best to cure illnesses without causing
harm. But the whole profession is hurt by nightmares such as a current
Mingo County medical mess.

Federal agents and State Police have charged Dr. Armando Acosta, 54,
of Williamson, with giving OxyContin painkiller to female patients who
didn't need it, getting them addicted to the potent drug, then
demanding sex in return for continued prescriptions.

Agents testified that a hidden camera in the doctor's office filmed
him having sex with a dozen women. Officers with search warrants say
they found hundreds of pre-signed prescription slips in his office,
evidently for use in mass drug-dispensing. A federal magistrate found
the evidence against the physician "truly scary" and jailed him.

Dr. Acosta previously had a long record of disciplinary actions,
reporter Larry Messina found. In 1992, his license was suspended after
he pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud. In 1995, he was put on
probation for mistreating teen-age female patients. In 1997, he was
put on probation again for over-prescribing painkillers and failing to
pay child support. As recently as June 12, an auditor found
"dishonorable" conduct and "substandard" record-keeping by him.

With this record, a question arises: Why was Dr. Acosta allowed to
continue practicing so long? Why didn't the Mingo County medical
community and the state Board of Medicine do more to protect
unsuspecting families in that region?

Sick people must put their lives and the lives of their children into
the hands of physicians. This requires trust and confidence.
Allegations like those in Mingo undermine that trust.