Doctor in Matthew Perry’s ketamine death case to resume medical practice

One of the doctors charged in connection to Matthew Perry’s fatal ketamine overdose has resumed his medical practice and is still seeing patients.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, along with Dr. Mark Chavez, was charged with conspiring to distribute ketamine after the “Friends” actor was found dead in a hot tub at his Pacific Palisades home last October. Perry’s former personal assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, a “friend of a friend of Perry’s” Erik Fleming, and Jasveen Sangha, known as the “Ketamine Queen,” were also charged. Plasencia, colloquially referred to as “Dr. P,” faces additional charges for distributing ketamine and falsifying records related to the federal investigation.

Despite these charges, Plasencia appears to be returning to work. A sign posted on the door of his practice confirms the charges and informs patients that he cannot prescribe any controlled substances.

“Dr. Plasencia has surrendered his DEA registration number and currently cannot prescribe any controlled substances. He still maintains a medical license issued by the State of California,” read the notice on the door of Malibu Canyon Urgent Care in Calabasas.

His attorney, Stefan Sacks, informed The LA Times that while his client can still treat patients under certain conditions, he must fully disclose the pending charges and obtain a signed consent form from patients willing to proceed with treatment.

“The conditions are that he disclose in writing the existence of the pending federal case, and the fact that he cannot prescribe controlled substances,” Sacks explained. “Patients are then required to sign a written consent form for treatment. So, essentially, the requirement is disclosure and informed consent.”

Prosecutors allege that Plasencia taught Iwamasa how to inject Perry with ketamine, even injecting the actor himself in the backseat of a car during a meeting in Long Beach.

The DOJ indictment suggests that Plasencia viewed Perry as a financial opportunity, citing text messages he sent to Chavez about a month before the actor’s death. In one message, Plasencia wrote, “I wonder how much this moron will pay,” followed by “Let’s find out” in another text. He also described meeting Perry as being “like a bad movie” in a third message to Chavez.

The DOJ’s statement announcing the arrests encapsulated the tragedy of Perry’s situation. “Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw him as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials,” the statement read.

Plasencia faces up to 10 years in prison for each ketamine-related count and up to 20 years for each record falsification count. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due back in court on October 8.

Meanwhile, Jasveen Sangha has also pleaded not guilty and will appear in court in October. Fleming, Chavez, and Iwamasa have reached plea deals in connection with the case.

Source: The LA Times