The Health Department has barred Dr. Alvin C. Bacon, a North Smithfield family doctor, from prescribing controlled substances, because he had a pattern of prescribing excessive amounts of narcotics.
In an emergency action Thursday, Health Director Michael D. Fine pulled Bacon's controlled substances registration. But he did not put restrictions on Bacon's license to practice medicine. He may challenge the suspension in an administrative hearing.
The order cited the cases of four patients who received prescriptions for oxycodone, each allowing many more pills than needed to follow the recommended dosage. For example, one patient was prescribed 6,460 tablets to be taken over a 432-day period. But if the patient followed the recommended dosage, he had enough for 1,076 days. He bought them at eight pharmacies.