Louisiana Medical Board Suspends Psychiatrist Ray Worthy for Improper Prescribing; Patient Died

December 2, 2024

On July 24, 2023, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners indefinitely suspended the license of New Orleans psychiatrist Ray Worthy, due to improper prescribing practices and the death of a patient from a drug overdose.  

The Board initiated an investigation upon receipt of information that Worthy improperly prescribed controlled dangerous substances (CDS) to Patient KE, who had a known history of substance abuse, and the patient subsequently died from an overdose. In the course of the investigation, the investigating officer confirmed that Worthy prescribed patient KE large quantities of CDS in August and September 2021 without performing a urine drug screen and, further, did not cancel these prescriptions despite later being informed by patient KE's family that he was diverting the prescribed CDS to purchase illicit substances. 

This conduct was particularly concerning to the Board, considering that, only a few months prior to the prescriptions at issue, the Investigating Officer counseled Worthy about the importance of performing urine drug screens and accessing and reviewing the prescription monitoring program (“PMP”) when treating patients with a known history of substance abuse to ensure they are not diverting the prescribed substances.

The investigation further revealed that Worthy’s improper prescribing practices were not limited to one patient, as a review of the patient’s medical records from additional patients revealed that, between April 2022 and August 2022, Worthy improperly prescribed ketamine to two patients for home use contrary to the Board's advisory opinion regarding the off-label use of ketamine to treat mental health disorders. 

Source: Interim Consent Order in the Matter of Ray Bonner Worthy, M.D., credential no. MD.205358, Case no. 2022-I-043, Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, July 7, 2023.