More Complaints About Henry Co. Doctor

Middletown, Ind. (WISH) - There are more complaints about a Henry County doctor whose medical license could be suspended next week.

24 Hour News 8 was first to report the allegations against Doctor Phillip Foley of Middletown.

Investigators with the Indiana attorney general's office say 72-year-old Dr. Phillip Foley over prescribed pain medication without doing proper exams of patients. Several patients died from drug overdoses.

Lisa Romero says her mother, Pam Riggs was a patient of Dr. Phillip Foley. She says Foley failed to properly treat her mother for congestive heart failure. Riggs died in 2003.

"It was easier for him to push out the prescription for the pain medication than to actually investigate and find out what's going on," says Romero.

"I think he should lose his license and should have criminal charges brought against him for being basically a legalized drug pusher," she says.

Those who live near or drive past Foley's practice call it revolving door of patients, sometimes late into the night. The US Drug Enforcement administration says Foley wrote more than 96-thousand prescriptions over three years. Occasionally up to 400 prescriptions in a single day.

"They line up about six in the morning. They're here until ten at night," says Derick Stefandel who lives across from Foley's practice. "When the gates open at eight, they line up single file," he says.

"When you hear about all those prescriptions... we knew there was a lot going on, but it's quite a lot of narcotics, drugs going out amongst people," says Henry County resident Nick Ashton. "It's dangerous."

We tried to contact Dr. Foley through his answering service today. He did not return our call.

But Foley did defend himself in May, when our newsgathering partners, the Anderson Herald Bulletin reported on an investigation by the DEA. "I always make sure they have legitimate problems" he said about his patients. "Ordinary doctors are scared to write prescriptions." Foley also added: "I'm not doing anything wrong, and I'll not let the government say I'm doing anything wrong."

The government will investigate Dr. Foley next week. The Indiana Medical Licensing Board will consider the suspension of his medical license during a meeting on Thursday.