A physician, Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is accused of illicitly providing ketamine to the late Friends star Matthew Perry before his accidental overdose demise last year, is set to return to his medical practice this week. Plasencia’s lawyer confirmed to NBC News that the doctor intends to resume working at his Calabasas urgent care clinic in Los Angeles County.
Plasencia recently pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiring to distribute ketamine and was granted release on a $100,000 bond under the condition that he displays a notice of his pending court case on his clinic door. Patients must also sign a form acknowledging the allegations against him and consent to treatment during each visit.
Prosecutors allege that Perry received ketamine injections from Plasencia approximately 20 times leading up to his tragic death from a combination of intoxication and drowning. It is claimed that Perry had been seeking alternative sources of ketamine due to restrictions at the clinic where he was undergoing treatment for depression.
Furthermore, text messages released by the court suggest that Plasencia obtained ketamine from another physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, who allegedly supplied fraudulent prescriptions for the drug. Plasencia and Chavez reportedly discussed pricing for Perry’s treatments, with Chavez referring to the actor as a “moron” in their exchanges.
Overall, the case surrounding Perry’s death highlights the dangers of addiction and the blurred lines between medical treatment and illegal drug distribution in Hollywood circles.
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