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ST. GEORGE — A southern Utah woman accused of illegally portraying herself as a doctor and issuing more than 2,000 prescriptions to patients has pleaded guilty to practicing a profession without a license, a third-degree felony.
Between June 21, 2018, and July 1, 2021, Jennifer Renee Myers "prescribed over 2,100 prescription drugs to patients without a medical license. Myers prescribed these controlled substances by using the (Drug Enforcement Administration) number of a physician assistant without his consent. Myers also maintained medical records, examining, diagnosing and treating these patients without the proper medical license," according to charging documents.
Myers, 42, of St. George, was licensed to practice acupuncture in Utah from 2016 until Jan. 6. At that time, she agreed to surrender her license to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing for 10 years.
According to a violation report, the division first issued a "cease and desist" order and a $500 fine to Myers in 2018 for referring to herself on business cards, advertisements and social media at "Dr. Jen Myers," when in fact she was not licensed to do so.
In 2019, she received another cease and desist order accompanied with a $5,000 fine for continuing to represent herself as a doctor, the report states.
Then from 2019 through 2020, while Myers was employed by a chiropractic office, she "provided medical services to at least 75 patients," including questioning patients about hormones and their medication history, conducting health assessments on patients, performing physical exams, ordering lab tests and diagnosing medical conditions, according to the report.
Myers also "wrote over 2,100 prescriptions for patients and utilized another individual's DEA license without his consent, to prescribe schedule II-IV controlled substances to her patients," the division report states.
In October, Myers was issued her third cease and desist order and a $10,000 fine.
In addition to surrendering her license, Myers was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine to the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, and she "agrees not to apply for licensure with the division, in any occupation or profession, until 10 years has elapsed," according to the report.
In exchange for her guilty plea in 5th District Court, prosecutors indicated in court documents they will ask a judge to sentence her to three years of probation and said the division would agree to dismiss the fine issued in October. Myers also agreed, as part of her plea deal, to not refer to herself as "Dr. Myers," the "DNA Doc," the "genetic counselor or any title or designation tending to indicate that the person is a genetic counselor, medical practitioner or as an expert of any profession that requires a license" in Utah.
