Dr. Kapoor: Methadone OK for Pregnant Anna

Posted Feb 16th 2007 3:20PM by TMZ Staff

A lawyer for the doctor who prescribed drugs to Anna Nicole Smith in the late stages of her pregnancy says giving methadone to Smith was "medically sound and appropriate."

The lawyer for Dr. Sandeep Kapoor responded to allegations of medical misconduct today in a statement to TMZ, saying, in part, "Medical research and protocols confirm that methadone is approved for use by pregnant patients." According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, methadone treatment for pregnant women can "save [a] baby's life" and can "allow [one] to regain...quality of life." The government also says that using methadone while pregnant "will not cause birth defects for [a] baby."

The lawyer also defended the doctor's use of an alias for Smith's methadone prescription, explaining, "The media frenzy surrounding Smith's life and tragic death underscores why public figures may choose to use pseudonyms in order to protect the privacy of their medical treatment."

Kapoor's attorney didn't discuss the specifics of his treatment of Anna Nicole, citing the confidentiality of medical records, saying only that the "treatment program for Anna Nicole Smith was at all times medically sound and appropriate."

According to the statement, Kapoor "will cooperate with any inquiries by the Medical Board of California," which said yesterday that it would investigate the doctor's prescribing Smith's drugs to an alias. Kapoor's lawyer also says he is "saddened" by Anna's death and offers his condolences to her family.

Filed under: Anna Nicole Smith

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61. natalie are you 12?? If not you should stop acting like you are.

Posted at 7:48PM on Feb 16th 2007 by chelsea

62. Natalie, come back down to earth hun. I'm sure that the reason he is being investigated by the medical board is for prescribing the methadone under an alias. It is not illegal or wrong to prescribe during pregnancy. I had my first child while on methadone. There were no side effects or withdrawals. If I had the option not be on methadone, I would have gotton off in a second. There was too much of a risk as I was too far along when I found out. What concerns me, which could be another reason he is being investigated is the size of the bottle he prescribed. She should have been very closely monitered, which it doesn't seem like she was. I wouldn't be surprised if he was found guilty of a serious crime here. There is no crime in giving someone methadone while pregnant though. There is nothing wrong with advising a patient to stay on it, in most cases, its the safest option. Thank you.

Posted at 7:52PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Liz Ameral

63. yes liz that was my point...the bottle size....the fake name....and i think he should go to jail for that because what he did was wrong.

Posted at 7:54PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

64. chelsea did you know anna nicole?? didn't think so!

Posted at 7:55PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

65. and it also seems if this quack dr loses his license which he probably will that you will be the one losing your battle for drug addicts everywhere. HAHAHAHA!...because it seems as though if this happens...then i guess the whole board would have agreed with me and everyone else on this site who has said the same thing

Posted at 7:56PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

66. i can act how i want to act..you're no boss of mine so please ok?

Posted at 7:57PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

67. I was on drugs really bad even when i was pregnant and all my kids was healthy thank god i am gald i had people love no matter what i did even when i was not proud of some things i did but damn it she die let the poor woman live in pace now not everyone can say they are always good as god want us to be but who are you guys to judge that is god place not your and i donot care what any one say she need help and it sounds like noone care what happen to her or her son so don't judge poeple unless you really know what they are going thur

Posted at 7:59PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Ieren

68. Natalie, I've just been convinced you about 16 years old. As I can only speak for myself and not the whole board, My argument is that methadone during pregnancy isnt the disgusting irresponsible thing u claim it is....just as u over and over again asked if anyone saw #14 post...When Liz (and thank you for sharing your story) added her story, you had nothing to say about her taking methadone while pregant. The doctor hopefully will lose his license, if he was prescribing it for something other than its use, for a fake name, for the bottle size. I don't understand how that is a losing battle for drug addicts everywhere? Your not making sense. You don't think rationally at all.

Posted at 8:02PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Jen

69. what i found really funny was that lady who was interviewing those celebrities on the red carpet and asked them "what would have said to anna before she died to help her?" and these celebrities were saying "oh yeah i would have called her...." and blah blah..too little too late...if anyone cared about anna she'd still be here

Posted at 8:04PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

70. the reason why i did not go after leren is because she seemed sincere #14 seemed like she was taking m&m's and it was no big deal ok?

Posted at 8:11PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

71. and tmz wouldn't have posted this page if they didn't think people like you didn't come on here trying to save the world jen

Posted at 8:13PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

72. How did Anna's methadone end up in her son's system?

Posted at 8:13PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Edie Martin

73. Key Pharmacy, owned by Ira Freeman, of California, filled the prescription and mailed it to Vickie Marshall BUT the waybill was in Howard K. Stern's name.

Posted at 8:14PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Edie Martin

74. who knows how it end up there....many people believe howard gave it to him...already one person has come forward to testify at the inquest that they saw howard give danny the methadone and then flush the rest down the toilet once the authorities arrived.

Posted at 8:19PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

75. natalie, if anyone cared about anna she would still be here? Thats not a factual statement. You can not help someone that doesn't want to be helped. Addiction isn't a black and white as you may think it is. Stopping is not that simple. Addiction is an actual disease. A chronic, replasing disease that is treatable but not curable. This doctor possibly fed that addiction. I shouldn't even say that because we really don't know at this point.

Posted at 8:27PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Liz Ameral

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