Columbus Doctor Seeks Prescription Authority Back

ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) – Columbus physician Dr. Michael A. White wants return of authority to prescribe controlled drugs to his patients.

Through his attorney, the 62-year-old White filed a complaint in April against the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. On Friday, a federal court set July 9 for a response.

In his complaint, White notes that he voluntarily turned in his DEA license in October 2011 while he was under investigation for prescribing phentermine to some patients for weight loss “without a medical necessity.”

The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports (http://bit.ly/17QXkey ) White was indicted in February 2012 and eight months later a jury found him not guilty of charges that he illegally dispensed diet pills to patients who didn’t need them.