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Psychiatrist Convicted of Manslaughter and Sentenced to One Year in Jail After Death of Chronic Pain Patient

By Lindsay F. Wiley [Bio]

February 3, 2003 - A Florida psychiatrist has been sentenced to a year in jail for causing the death of a patient for whom he prescribed almost 20,000 doses of painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills during a one-year time frame. The 30-year-old patient, Jamie Massey, died of an overdose of a combination of prescription drugs, including hydrocodone and oxazepam.

Dr. George M. Kubski, 55, was alleged by the Palm Beach County prosecutor to have prescribed "astronomical" amounts of pills without keeping adequate records, ordering appropriate medical tests, or properly monitoring the patient's condition. Kubski's one-year jail sentence was a steep departure from state guidelines, which call for 111 months to 15 years for a manslaughter conviction. The sentencing judge waived the guidelines based on evidence that Kubski suffers from medical conditions that require specialized medical treatment not generally available in the state prison system. Kubski reportedly suffers from severe depression and dementia and has a history of life-threatening blood clots.