Joan Rubinger loses opioid prescribing rights after athlete investigation

Former nurse practitioner Joan Rubinger, a pain specialist for high-profile professional athletes, has had her ability to prescribe opioids revoked by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Rubinger, through her practice All Pro Sports Medicine, treated a client list that included numerous NFL Pro Bowl selections, NBA champions, and Olympic medalists, including the late Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

Federal authorities allege that Rubinger engaged in a “covert and slinking” scheme, prescribing approximately 260,000 controlled substance pills to patients across more than 20 states without legitimate medical purposes. The investigation was reportedly prompted after the wife of former Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis alerted the DEA to the practitioner’s activities.

In March, Rubinger agreed to pay $1.4 million to settle a Justice Department civil complaint involving the distribution of substances such as oxycodone, Percocet, and Xanax. While she did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, she agreed to never again prescribe controlled substances. An administrative law judge characterized her conduct as “egregious.”