Erie, PAA former Clearfield County physician has been arrested for stockpiling pain medications like Fentora that he fraudulently obtained from several cancer patients whom he claimed were prescribed the drugs mistakenly.
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The office of the Attorney General identified the doctor in question as 43-year-old Amer Khouri, a resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, who allegedly obtained a large amount of the pain medication during his time as a specialist in internal medicine and oncology at the Clearfield Hospital Cancer Center between 2000 and 2007. According to the Gant Daily, Khouri routinely prescribed the dangerous medication to patients, only to recall the prescription at a later date, citing dosage error.
Officials are concerned that Khouri intended to sell the medication for profit as fentanyl - the generic name for medications like Fentora and Actiq - which has gained notoriety as a commonly abused street drug, despite its serious side effects.
Attorney General Tom Corbett told the news provider that Khouri's actions represented a breach of trust between patients and doctors.
"Dr. Khouri's patients were suffering through unimaginable circumstances and legitimately needed these drugs to manage their pain," Corbett told the news provider. "Unfortunately, their doctor took advantage of their illnesses for his own purpose."