Minnesota psychiatrist resigns medical license after accusations of over-prescribing

July 31, 2017

Dr. Faruk Abuzzahab, a psychiatrist in Twin Cities, Minnesota, resigned his medical license shortly after the Minnesota Medical Board temporarily suspended his license for “engaging in unethical and unprofessional conduct … engaging in fraudulent billing practices; and prescribing a drug or device for other than medically accepted.”

For example, Abuzzahab prescribed one patient who had gone through a hip surgery at least eight drugs.  Most of these were psychiatric drugs but they also included an opioid to treat pain.  The patient died at the age of 54 after getting addicted to prescription drugs.  His autopsy revealed he had heart disease and a “history of multisubstance dependence.”

Abuzzahab has been in trouble before for writing excessive amounts of prescriptions to patients and according to WCCO, complaints to the medical board about the doctor date back decades.

SOURCE: Liz Collin, "Twin Cities Doctor Resigns Medical License After Accusations Of Over-Prescription," WCCO, 28 Jul 2017, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/07/28/doctor-prescription-medical-license/; Liz Collin, "Investigation Into Man’s Death Reveals Depth Of Minnesota’s Prescription Drug Problem," WCCO, 30 May 2017, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/05/30/prescription-drugs-mike-arens/.