OXNARD : Doctor Accused of Illegal Prescriptions
Police have arrested an Oxnard psychiatrist at his office on suspicion of prescribing drugs for non-medical purposes.
Oxnard police took Dr. Tzeng (Thomas) Chih Chen into custody about 10:30 a.m. Thursday in his small office in the 400 block of West Gonzales Road. He is accused of prescribing Vicodin and Ritalin to patients without examining them thoroughly.
Vicodin is an addictive painkiller and Ritalin is an amphetamine given to children with attention disorders, Detective Ben Chavez said.
Chavez said police received several anonymous complaints about Chen’s prescription habits. Chavez said an undercover officer was sent to Chen’s office and received prescriptions too easily during three months of visits.
An official with the Medical Board of California said Chen was licensed to practice medicine in 1981 and has never been disciplined.
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