Crime & Safety

Report: Merrick Doctor Charged with Illegally Prescribing Oxycodone

Osteopathic doctor Michael Belfiore prescribed painkillers to undercover DEA agent who had no need for the drug, officials said.

Photo: Dr. Michael Belfiore’s office in Merrick. Credit: Google Maps

A Merrick doctor faces federal narcotics charges after he prescribed unneeded painkillers to an undercover agent, according to Newsday.

Michael Belfiore, an osteopathic doctor with an office on Merrick Road, allegedly wrote six prescriptions of oxycodone to a Drug Enforcement Administration officer who had “no legitimate medical need” for the drug, said the report. The prescriptions were written between March and August 2013.

Find out what's happening in Merrickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

DEA officials began investigating Belfiore after receiving a complaint that claimed he wrote around 5,000 prescriptions for oxycodone between January 2010 and March 2013, said the report. The complaint alleges that Belfiore prescribed painkillers to patients who had drug abuse problems or were diverting them, said the report.

Read the full story on Newsday here.

Find out what's happening in Merrickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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