Dr. Kapoor: Methadone OK for Pregnant Anna

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.



Tags: anna nicole smith, AnnaNicoleSmith, dr. sandeep kapoor, Dr.SandeepKapoor

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76. FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. It could also cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms in a newborn if the mother takes methadone during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Methadone can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

From the PDR. The bible for Prescription Drug Info. Sad when a nurse is smarter than the Dr.

Posted at 8:50PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Regina

77. 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

78. 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

79. 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

80. 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

81. 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

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

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

83. 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

84. No Natalie, ur wrong, TMZ wouldn't have posted this story if they didn't know that ignorant, uneducated, morons would be sitting on the page waiting to pick fights with everyone that posts a comment. So far I have seen you either insult or make a comment toward why you did or didn't comment or a persons post. I'm almost as bad as you, continuing to go back and forth. The difference is that I'm commenting on things that I know to be factual. With that said, Goodnight, and Natalie, I hope you get a clue, I really do.

Posted at 8:32PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Jen

85. 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

86. what kills me is all the people trying to make this drugged out, trailer trash, attention grabbing whore into some type of martyr. her death should serve as a cautionary tale, thats it. there's nothing tragic about it. you do excessive amounts of drugs you will eventually die. PERIOD Please, get your heads out of your asses. the woman has been a train wreck and a laughing stock for years and now that the inevitable has happened, everyone pretends their so grieved & saddened by her passing. Yeah, the same woman who sold her beloved son's last pictures to a magazine weeks after his demise. Yep, that Anna, she was definintely mother of the year material. And did any of you consider that maybe the reason she ran to the Bahamas to have the kid is that she knew that the baby would be born with drugs in her system and thus she might be prosecuted in the US?! Stop the bullsh*t and the hypocrisy. Its getting tiring.

Posted at 8:30PM on Feb 16th 2007 by Mr Bush

87. DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE?

Posted at 8:45PM on Feb 16th 2007 by gus

88. Hey Sandeep! It's too late, I'm now showing everyone. If you want the facts, click the link below!!!!

Posted at 9:26PM on Feb 16th 2007 by THE SECRET'S OUT DOC/CLICK HERE TO SEE!

89. nope we don't know...and that t-shirt he was wearing...ha what a classic (being sarcastic)

Posted at 8:36PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

90. nope you need to get a clue and i am glad you finally realized you are wasting your damn time arguing on tmz!

Posted at 8:37PM on Feb 16th 2007 by natalie

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