Matthew Perry's Doctors Lose Prescription Credentials Amid Ketamine Case

Matthew Perry's doctors won't be able to prescribe medication anymore. 

Salvador Plasencia and Mark Chavez—two of the five people charged in connection to the Friends alum's death—have surrendered their registrations to write prescriptions, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirmed to E! News Aug. 19.

E! News reached out to Chavez's and Plasencia's attorneys for comment but has not heard back. 

Perry was found dead in the hot tub at his California home on Oct. 28. In December, the actor's death was ruled a drug and drowning-related accident—the result of the "acute effects of ketamine"—by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner. 

In an Aug. 15 press conference, the Department of Justice revealed that Plasencia and Chavez were among five people who have been accused of "profiting off" Perry's longtime struggle with drug addiction and charged for their alleged involvement his passing.  

Prosecutors also named Plasencia one of the lead defendants, alleging that the doctor worked with the Fools Rush In star's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa to distribute approximately 20 vials of ketamine to him between September and October 2023 in exchange for $55,000 cash. (Iwamasa pleaded guilty on Aug. 7 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death.)

And that's not the only accusation the DOJ made against the medical professionals. Placensia also allegedly exchanged text messages with Chavez——a San Diego-based physician who is accused of selling ketamine to Plasencia to administer to Perry—to determine how much money they could get the actor to spend on the hallucinogenic drug, with Plasencia allegedly writing at one point, "I wonder how much this moron will pay."

Plasencia—who has not publicly entered a plea and was released on bond on Aug. 16—now faces several charges, including one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine, seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of altering and falsifying documents or records related to the federal investigation. If convicted, the 42-year-old could face up to 30 years in federal prison. 

As for Chavez, who is set to be arraigned on Aug. 30, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine and faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.

And while the investigation of Perry's death has yet to come to a close, his friends and family have continued to focus on his legacy. In fact, Friends creator Marta Kauffman recently shared a message for fans who may be following the ongoing case. 

“Two things come to mind [about how to celebrate him]: one of them is to donate to drug treatment centers—let’s fight the disease,” Kauffman told The Times. “And the second way is to watch Friends and remember him not as a man who died like that but as a man who was hilariously funny and brought joy to everybody.”

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