Detroit Physician Summarily Suspended for Overprescribing Controlled Substances

Media Contact: LARA Communications 517-373-9280
Email: mediainfo@michigan.gov

April 16, 2018 - The Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has summarily suspended the medical license of Detroit physician Asm Akter Ahmed for overprescribing controlled substances.

The Michigan Public Health Code provides for summary suspension of licenses when the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action.

LARA also served an accompanying administrative complaint on Ahmed, alleging that he prescribed controlled substances for other than lawful diagnostic or therapeutic purposes and failed to conform to minimal standards of acceptable practice.

In 2017, Ahmed was a top prescriber of carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant, and promethazine with codeine syrup, both commonly abused and diverted controlled substances.

Governor Rick Snyder’s Michigan Prescription Drug and Opioid Abuse Task Force called for a more comprehensive enforcement program against licensed health professionals and facilities who participate in overprescribing and over dispensing.  Accordingly, LARA created a permanent Drug Monitoring Section which focuses on identifying, investigating, and pursuing appropriate disciplinary actions against individuals who overprescribe or divert controlled substances, and individuals and facilities who over dispense controlled substances.

An order of summary suspension is a temporary measure to protect the public and not a final determination that a licensee has violated the Public Health Code.

For more information of LARA’s regulation of health professions in Michigan, please go to michigan.gov/healthlicense
For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara
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