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A Worcester psychiatrist was sentenced Thursday in federal court to 4 years’ probation and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine for illegally distributing controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced.
Mohamad Och, 69, was convicted in November 2023 (https://the016.com/blogs/4/2123/worcester-psychiatrist-convicted-of-illegally-prescribing-drugs) following an 11-day jury trial on 3 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
Och owned and operated Island Counseling Center in Worcester and had practiced psychiatry elsewhere in Massachusetts, including Nantucket.
According to court records, between August 2016 and February 2017, Och knowingly issued prescriptions for Adderall and Xanax to undercover federal agents outside the usual course of professional practice and not for any legitimate medical purpose.
Prosecutors showed that he failed to conduct psychiatric examinations, obtain patients’ prior medical records or perform diagnostic tests—even when undercover agents exhibited clear signs of potential drug diversion—and did not discuss medication risks or side effects as documented in his own records.
Evidence presented at trial highlighted the high abuse potential and cardiovascular dangers of amphetamines, as well as the added risks of combining a depressant like Xanax with a stimulant such as Adderall.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman.
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