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Mohamad Och, age 67, was found guilty of illegally prescribing a Schedule II drug and one count of illegally prescribing a Schedule IV narcotic following an 11-day trial, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He potentially faces decades in jail when he is sentenced in February.
Och owned and ran Island Counseling Center in Worcester and also operated a practice in Nantucket.
Undercover DEA agents went to Och posing as patients and were prescribed Klonopin, Adderall, and Xanax despite the doctor not performing proper psychological evaluations, looking at their medical histories, or administering urinalysis or blood tests, the prosecutor said.
One agent even said they were in a drug diversion program and still received the addictive drugs, authorities said.
Och also did not tell patients the risks associated with taking the drugs or discuss the potential dangers of mixing stimulants like Adderall and benzodiazepines such as Xanax.
“Handing out controlled substances as casually as Halloween candy is a clear-cut crime, in which Dr. Och abrogated his professional ethics. Going forward, this experienced psychiatrist will have plenty of time to analyze his incredibly poor decisions that led to today’s conviction,” said Special Agent In Charge of the FBI Boston Office Jodi Cohen.
Och received his medical degree from UMass Medical School in 1984, according to his bio on Advanced Psych Services, where he was co-owner and president. He also served as a psychiatric consultant for Adcare Hospital and was the medical director at Veterans Inc., Independence Hall, the bio said.
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