Lake City doc loses license for prescribing meds

Lake City doc loses license for prescribing meds

NOVEMBER 25, 2008 - A Lake City physician’s license was revoked Tuesday for over prescribing controlled substances to at least two patients who both died.

Columbia County Sheriff’s detectives investigated both cases in which the cause of death was determined by the Medical Examiner to be lethal amounts of prescribed medications. Both victims were patients of Dr. Barnie Vanzant.

A criminal investigation proved inconclusive, but the information gathered was turned over to the Florida Department of Health. A complete investigation by the Department of Health resulted in Tuesday’s emergency restriction on Dr. Vanzant’s license.

In May, Daniel Joseph Lewis, 31, was found deceased by his mother. Investigation revealed that for a period of 114 days Dr. Vanzant had prescribed Mr. Lewis approximately 1,070 Alprazolam pills, 1,040 Methadone pills, 670 Loratab pills and a some Soma pills.

In August, Travis Bryan Walls, 25, was found dead in the home of a friend. Investigation revealed that for a period of 642 days, Dr. Vanzant wrote prescriptions for Mr. Walls that totaled approximately 1,938 Methadone pills and 996 Alprazolam pills as well as prescriptions for Loratab and Ultram.

In both cases, the Department of Health declared Dr. Vanzant’s conduct "egregious" and that it posed an immediate and serious danger to the public health, safety and welfare.