Pennsylvania physician charged in 2 fatal opioid overdoses
Photo by AP Photo/Steve Legge
A Pittsburgh area doctor has been arrested on charges he caused the deaths of two patients by overprescribing opioids.
Pennsylvania prosecutors Friday charged Dr. Michel Toret with drug delivery resulting in death for the overdoses of Heather Dervin and Glenn Morgan last year.
Toret’s lawyer says the 71-year-old physician didn’t violate standards of care and intends to defend himself against the charges.
Prosecutors say an investigation was begun in late 2016 after one of the doctor’s employees reported that he was prescribing large amounts of opioids.
Dervin overdosed about a week after getting methadone from Toret. Morgan’s death in a Kansas hotel room occurred days after Toret prescribed him oxymorphone.
Toret gave up his right to prescribe drugs after his office in North Huntington was searched last year.
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