BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A western New York doctor has pleaded guilty to improperly prescribing painkillers, some of which he took himself.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Buffalo says Albert Cowie of the suburb of Amherst pleaded guilty to fraud on Thursday.
Prosecutors say the 37-year-old radiologist wrote more than 200 illegal prescriptions for an individual who kept some of the pills and turned the rest over to Cowie.
Cowie is the second Buffalo-area doctor to appear in federal court this week. On Monday, Dr. Pravin Mehta was sentenced to two years in prison for illegally prescribing painkillers.
The Centers for Disease Control says drug overdose deaths now surpass those from auto accidents and that the majority of drug deaths involve opioids, which include prescription pain relievers like hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.