Doctor’s License Suspended Over Pain Prescriptions

The West Virginia Board of Medicine has suspended for three years the license of a Charleston neurologist accused of writing too many painkiller prescriptions. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports an investigation found Dr. Iraj Derakhshan wrote more than 14,000 controlled substances prescriptions in less than eight months beginning July 1, 2013. The most recent complaint was from a woman who said her adult daughter had been prescribed increasing doses of oxycodone to treat migraine headaches and had begun melting the pills and injecting them. The investigation also found Derakhshan gave contradictory verbal and written instructions on taking prescribed pain medications. He also failed to keep clear written medical records. Derakhshan may appeal.