Source: The Courier-Mail (Australia) Contact: Website: http://www.thecouriermail.com.au/ Copyright: News Limited 1998 Pubdate: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 Page: 3 Author: Justine Nolan DRUG RESTRICTION FOR DOCTOR AFTER PATIENT DIES OF OVERDOSE A BRISBANE doctor who prescribed an addictive narcotic to a drug addict for his "back pain" was banned from issuing such drugs after the man died of an overdose. Michael Charles Gregory prescribed Brett Anthony Benney 60 tablets of physeptone - a pain-killer similar to morphine - the day before he died, the Coroner's Court was told yesterday. Between November 28 last year and January 30 this year, Dr Gregory prescribed Benney 160 tablets. The court was told on Benney's last appointment he asked Dr Gregory for triple his regular prescription because he was going away for work. When Benney arrived home, he crushed the pills and mixed them with water before injecting the liquid into his arm. He died on January 31. The Department of Health cancelled Dr Gregory's authority to prescribe Schedule 8 drugs such as physeptone on September 10. Under cross-examination by barrister Peter Nolan, for the Benney family, manager of the Drugs of Dependence Unit Alun Richards told the court that Dr Gregory had been under suspicion of prescribing inappropriate narcotics to Benney and other patients since 1986. Dr Richards said a doctor must obtain permission from the Chief Health Officer before prescribing physeptone to a suspected or known drug addict. But barrister David Tait, for Dr Gregory, argued that the unit, which tracks people on drug programmes and monitors prescriptions dispensed for Schedule 8 drugs, did not list Benney as a drug user. In court yesterday, Dr Gregory claimed privilege from answering questions about Benney's death. Coroner Gary Casey found that Benney, 26, formerly of Highgate Hill, died of comatoasphyxia caused by methadone or morphine toxicity. Mr Casey called on the Medical Board of Queensland to remind medical practitioners about the potential dangers involved in prescribing narcotics. He said doctors should investigate patients' complaints fully and consider alternative treatments before prescribing "potentially dangerous and addictive medication". - --- Checked-by: Richard Lake