She was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed the DEA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Joan Rubinger overcame a catastrophic biking accident that left her paralyzed to become an influential pain-relief specialist helping top-tier athletes obtain back on the field after acute and chronic injuries.

What happened

Her website touts a client list that includes 169 NFL Pro Bowl selections, 29 NBA and WNBA champions and 15 Olympic medalists. As well as MLB All Star Fernando Tatis Jr, among some of her most notable patients: NBA All Stars Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

But behind the scenes, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged in court filings, Rubinger doled out thousands of illegal prescriptions for highly addictive painkillers, a "covert and slinking" scheme the nurse practitioner likened to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant. Over a four-year period, federal authorities remarked, the nurse practitioner prescribed 260, 000 pills containing controlled substances to patients in more than 20 states.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around she was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.