Camden Physician Surrenders Medical License
NEWARK – A Camden-based physician has voluntarily surrendered his New Jersey medical license for indiscriminately prescribing controlled dangerous substances (CDS) following an investigation by the Division of Consumer Affairs' Enforcement Bureau, the Gloucester City Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration's Camden Office.
Dr. Henry L. Morganstein, D.O., 71, practicing medicine from his 1809 South Broadway office in Camden, admitted to investigators that he wrote voluminous and improper prescriptions for Promethazine with Codeine, Xanax, Percocet and other substances for various persons. In addition, Morganstein consented to cease and desist from the practice of medicine and surgery, and surrendered his prescription-writing registrations and prescription pad.
The surrender of Morganstein's medical license, which is in effect a revocation, comes on the heels of the arrests of two of his medical clerks for fraudulently obtaining unauthorized prescriptions. Lateesha Green, 27, of Westville, New Jersey and Ameera Lawson, 27, of Camden, New Jersey were arrested last week by the Gloucester City Police for allegedly engaging in an organized drug ring of obtaining Promethazine and Xanax unlawfully. Their case is being prosecuted by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.
The Board of Medical Examiners, which licenses approximately 33,000 physicians practicing in New Jersey, today reviewed and approved Dr. Morganstein's Consent Order.
"The abuse of these prescriptions is a well-documented problem and Dr. Morganstein, by his own admission, prescribed large quantities of these drugs unlawfully," said Attorney General Paula T. Dow.
"The Division, in tandem with our law enforcement partners, acted expeditiously to shut down Dr. Morganstein's one-stop drug shop," said Thomas R. Calcagni, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. "Simply stated, his prolific and indiscriminate prescribing practices put people's lives at risk and are an affront to the values of his profession."
Acting Director Calcagni credited the Division of Consumer Affairs' Bureau of Enforcement, as well as Detective Carl DePoder of the Gloucester City Police Department and Division Investigator Donna Walker of the DEA, for their work in the ongoing investigation.
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