Medical Board Seeks to Suspend/Revoke License of Los Angeles Psychiatrist Christine D. Forest following Death of Patient

June 3, 2026

The Medical Board of California is seeking to suspend or revoke the license of Los Angeles psychiatrist Christine Delia Forest.

On October 21, 2025 the Board issued an Accusations against Forest, alleging gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, failure to maintain adequate and accurate records, failure to consult the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES), failure to offer naloxone, and general unprofessional conduct.

This action was based around circumstances in the death of one of her patients. The Coroner’s Report listed Patient 1’s cause of death as combined effects of alprazolam (benzodiazepine) and hydrocodone (opioid).

Forest began seeing Patient 1, a 29-year-old male, in August 2013. The patient also had a history of chronic back pain after a sports injury that required surgical interventions.

According to the Accusation, Forest treated the patient in a solo psychiatric private practice but was “not a pain medicine doctor” and did not have subspecialty certification in pain medicine. The Board alleged that Forest prescribed or continued to prescribe medications including Xanax, Evekeo (amphetamine) and other psychiatric medications, while the patient also received opioid pain medications from a spine surgeon.

On October 1, 2018, there was a mandate to consult CURES prior to prescribing, ordering, administering, or furnishing a Schedule II, III or IV controlled substances.

As of October 9, 2018, Forest prescribed Xanax and Evekeo.

On October 24, 2018, Forest prescribed Norco (opioid) for pain, and Xanax.

From that time forward until October 1, 2019, Patient 1 repeatedly filled prescriptions that Forest prescribed for Valium, Evekeo, Xanax, Naproxen, Flexeril, and Norco. Patient 1 also filled a prescription of Norco written by his spine surgeon.

At no time was it documented that Forest had any conversation with Patient 1 regarding the risks of taking opiates with benzodiazepines. There was no documentation that Forest consulted the CURES database or that Forest offered Patient 1 a prescription for naloxone hydrochloride or another FDA-Approved drug for the complete or partial reversal of opioid-induced respiratory depression.

On October 13, 2019, Patient 1 was found unresponsive in his apartment and 911 was called. Resuscitation was attempted, but Patient 1 was pronounced deceased by paramedics. 

Source: Accusation in the matter of the Accusation against Christine Delia Forest, M.D., physician's & surgeon's certificate no. A 72375, Case 800-2024-113402, Medical Board of California, October 21, 2025.