Oxycontin Manufacturer's Motion for Ex Parte Contact with Treating Physicians Denied

ABINGDON, Va.-A motion to conduct ex parte interviews with the treating physicians of individuals who claim they became addicted to Oxycontin was denied by a federal judge, who ruled that a physician's information regarding the physical and mental health of a patient can only be disclosed in discovery or through trial testimony. McCaulley v. Purdue Pharma, L.P., et al., No. 01-CV-00080 (W.D. Va.).

U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela Meade Sargent's Oct. 1 ruling was reached following oral arguments presented by counsel on Sept. 10 and was based on Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-399 (B), which pertains to the applicability of the …