Ledger MDs Off the Hook

Two doctors who treated Heath Ledger cleared of wrongdoing in investigation into actor's death

By Gina Serpe Feb 29, 2008 4:31 PMTags

The doctors are in...the clear.

The two doctors in California and Texas who were under investigation from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency have been cleared of any prescribing wrongdoing in the wake of Heath Ledger's death.

It was revealed just Thursday that the docs, whose identities were never disclosed, were being interviewed by authorities after their names were found on various prescription bottles in the actor's New York apartment.

In addition to investigating whether the MDs had overprescribed medication or been the victims of doctor-shopping, the DEA was trying to determine whether either or both of the docs had been responsible for prescribing two potent painkillers to Ledger, Oxycontin and Vicodin.

According to the New York Post, the doctors were found to have met with the actor and followed all proper procedures in prescribing the medications, though neither of them had signed off on dispensing the painkillers. Exactly which prescriptions each doctor administered to the actor was not disclosed.

The 28-year-old was found dead in his SoHo apartment on Jan. 22, and on Feb. 6, the New York Medical Examiner's office confirmed that his death was caused by a lethal combination of six potent prescription medications, including Oxycontin, Vicodin, Xanax, Valium, the antianxiety and sleeping aid temazenam and the sleeping aid doxylamine.

The DEA quickly set out to determine whether the drugs had been obtained legally, issuing subpoenas to obtain the toxicology report, as well as information about the case from the New York Police department, to determine whether there had been any violation of federal law.

There's a continuing investigation by the DEA to determine whether there were valid medical conditions attached to each of the prescriptions found in the actor's apartment.