After the arraignment of Dr. Eugene Gosy on federal charges related to the illegal issuing of prescriptions for controlled substances, many of the doctor's patients are desperately scrambling to find another medical provider who will treat their pain.
At the Niagara Apothecary in Niagara Falls, owner Jamie Latko said the phones are still ringing off the hook as Dr. Gosy's patients have been calling to find out about their medications.
U.S. Attorney William Hochul tells 7 Eyewitness News that Dr. Gosy's patients can contact the Erie County Health Department for help in finding other physicians who treat pain, and the Niagara Apothecary recommends that patients begin making future plans now.
Pharmacists say patients should not stop taking medication prescribed by Dr. Gosy without checking with their primary physician.
However, one lingering question remains as to the validity of prescriptions that patients might have that were written by Dr. Gosy before his indictment and the surrendering of his DEA license. Can they still be filled?
7 Eyewitness News reached out to the DEA to get clarification. A DEA spokesperson in Washington said Dr. Gosy's prescriptions are valid up until the day he surrendered his DEA license, and that includes refills.
Pharmacist Jamie Latko, owner of the Niagara Apothecary, said the DEA told her that prescriptions written by practitioners in Dr. Gosy's office are also valid as long as the practitioner has his/her own DEA license.
Dr. Gosy's office is closed Friday, April 29th with a message posted online saying it will resume seeing patients on May 3rd.
Erie County Health Commissioner, Dr. Gale Burstein, said health officials are aware and concerned about the situation with Dr. Gosy's patients. Next week after the Erie County Opioid Epidemic Task Force meeting, those officials will start talking about creating an emergency action plan to deal with Dr. Gosy's patients.
