Prescription Scandal: Gang Used Dead Doctors’ Identities to Issue Drugs
Health Sector
Türkiye’s healthcare system has been rocked by another scandal following the fake diploma and newborn registry cases. This time, a criminal gang was found to be issuing prescriptions for narcotic-effect drugs using the stolen identities of doctors — including those who had died in the 2023 earthquake.
Journalist Murat Ağırel revealed the scheme in his column for Cumhuriyet, stating that the network included pharmacists and doctors.
Theft of Digital Signatures
On June 21, 2023, two doctors at Çeşme Medicana Medical Center — V.K.K. and E.O.T. — reported their e-signature token devices stolen. Using these, prescriptions were issued for 63 boxes of Lyrica, a drug with addictive properties.
A week later, on June 28, 2023, Dr. B.Ş. from İzmir Tire State Hospital reported his token device stolen. In just four days, the stolen credentials were used to prescribe 600 boxes of Lyrica and its equivalents.
Expanding Nationwide
Investigators discovered that token devices belonging to doctors at 18 different hospitals, including major facilities like İstanbul Çam Sakura and İstanbul Training and Research Hospital, had been stolen and misused in the same way.
Prescriptions Under Deceased Doctors’ Names
The fraud went even further: prescriptions were recorded under the names of doctors who had already died. One case involved Op. Dr. Ahmet Muhtar Uygur, who passed away in September 2020. Another was Dr. Ali Kılıç, who died in the February 6, 2023 earthquake. Both were listed as prescribers in the system.
This scandal highlights serious vulnerabilities in Türkiye’s digital prescription system, raising urgent questions about data security, oversight, and accountability in the healthcare sector.
