The ‘Pill Mill Killer’: How Dr. Paul Volkman Became One of America’s Deadliest Doctors
On February 14, 2012, a federal judge in Ohio handed down a sentence so severe it sent shockwaves through the medical and legal communities. Dr. Paul Volkman, once a respected physician, was given four consecutive life sentences for his role in the opioid epidemic—specifically, for the unlawful distribution of controlled substances that led to multiple deaths. Alongside these charges, he was convicted on 13 additional counts, including illegally prescribing pain pills, operating drug premises, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, and even possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
But how did a once-promising doctor—a man with both a medical degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago—transform into the most notorious pill mill operator in the Midwest? And how did he manage to evade justice for so long while raking in millions from desperate patients seeking pain relief?
A Doctor Turned Drug Lord
Between April 2003 and February 2006, Volkman ran what can only be described as a legal drug cartel. Each week, he traveled from Chicago to small towns in Ohio, just a stone’s throw from the Kentucky and West Virginia borders, to write prescriptions in staggering amounts. Patients would leave his offices with cocktail prescriptions—opiates, muscle relaxants, and tranquilizers—that sometimes added up to over 600 pills a month for a single person.
The money poured in, even as local pharmacies refused to fill his prescriptions, recognizing the blatant abuse of the system. But the deaths piled up too. As patients overdosed, Volkman’s empire began to crumble.
The Making of a Monster
Journalist Philip Eil, author of Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’, spent years investigating the man behind the crimes. What he found was chilling.
Volkman, once a pediatrician and emergency room physician, had faced multiple instances of medical malpractice. He eventually lost his ability to obtain malpractice insurance, a devastating blow that made it nearly impossible to work in legitimate medical settings. Faced with financial ruin—but unwilling to downgrade his lavish Chicago lifestyle—he turned to the world of pill mills, where oversight was lax and money was abundant.
The true tragedy? Volkman never saw himself as a criminal. Even when speaking with Eil years later, from behind bars, he maintained his innocence, insisting he was helping patients and had done nothing wrong.
The Years of Evading Justice
Perhaps one of the most alarming aspects of Volkman’s case was how long he was able to operate with impunity. Despite local pharmacies flagging his prescriptions and patients dropping dead, it took authorities three years to shut him down. Why?
For one, opioid prescriptions were technically legal. Volkman was distributing medications that, in the right context, were prescribed every day across the country. He exploited legal loopholes while pharmaceutical companies and industry leaders defended the widespread use of painkillers.
But there was also another factor at play: the victims. Volkman operated in economically depressed areas, places where opioid addiction was already running rampant. Public health experts believe that because the epidemic primarily affected low-income Appalachian communities, authorities were slower to act.
The Harshest Sentence of Its Kind
Volkman’s refusal to admit wrongdoing ultimately sealed his fate. At his sentencing, he berated the judge, calling her a “heinous criminal” and insisting he had no apologies to make. The court, however, saw him for what he truly was: a dangerous man who, if given the opportunity, would return to his deadly trade without hesitation.
No other doctor has received a sentence as severe as Volkman’s four consecutive life terms. Many physicians caught in similar crimes opt for plea deals, avoiding lengthy trials and harsher punishments. But Volkman’s arrogance, his complete lack of remorse, and the sheer number of lives he destroyed ensured he would never walk free again.
The Forgotten Victims
One of the most powerful aspects of Eil’s book is the In Memoriam section, where he honors the patients who lost their lives to Volkman’s greed. Too often, those who die from opioid overdoses become statistics—numbers in a growing epidemic that has plagued the U.S. for decades. But these were real people with families, aspirations, and lives cut tragically short.
While justice has been served in Volkman’s case, his story remains a haunting reminder of the devastation wrought by the opioid crisis and the doctors who fueled it.
