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State Revokes License Of Ridgewood Psychiatrist 'Exacerbating Addiction'

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — The New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners has permanently revoked the license of a Ridgewood psychiatrist who was convicted of illegally distributing the prescription drug Adderall, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced.

James Cowan, Jr.

James Cowan, Jr.

Photo Credit: MUGSHOT: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR

James Cowan, Jr., who practiced from a home office in the village, agreed to forfeit his license to practice medicine in a consent order signed immediately after he pleaded guilty in Bergen County Superior Court last week, Porrino said

Cowan’s criminal conviction comes a year and a half after his medical license was temporarily suspended by the board amid allegations he indiscriminately prescribed controlled dangerous substances to patients, failed to keep proper patient records and aided and abetted the unlicensed practice of medicine by allowing his wife to use his pre-signed prescription blanks to dispense drugs like Adderall and Xanax to his patients, the release says.

Cowan has been barred from practicing since agreeing to the temporary suspension in June 2016, according to Porrino.

“Instead of doing his part to help fight the scourge of addiction, Cowan exacerbated the problem by dispensing habit-forming drugs to patients without justification,” Porrino said. 

“There is absolutely no place in the medical profession for doctors who abuse their prescription writing privileges to traffic in the illegal sale of highly restricted drugs.”

Adderall is an amphetamine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.

In May 2016, the state filed allegations that Cowan allowed his wife, a clinical social worker, to continue running his medical practice when he became too ill to work, authorities said. 

While confined to a hospital, and then a nursing home, the 72-year-old Cowan allegedly pre-signed prescription blanks for his wife to dispense highly addicting drugs to his patients, many of whom exhibited signs of drug seeking behavior, Porrino said. 

Cowan’s wife, who was also prosecuted for her misconduct, has since died, according to Porrino.

According to the State’s allegations, Cowan’s office manager told investigators that Cowan’s patients exhibited drug seeking behaviors and were often aggressive. 

Patients wandered into the upstairs private bedroom area to find Cowan, instead of waiting in the basement office area to be seen, and Cowan routinely left prescriptions for patients in an outside mailbox for after-hour pickups, according to the office manager.

Cowan agreed to the temporary suspension of his license pending further action by the Board. Under the terms of the consent order, and was required to surrender all prescription pads, and any CDS in his possession, except for those lawfully prescribed for his own use, the release says.

On March 1, Cowan was arrested in Bergen County on charges related to the distribution of CDS, according to Porrino.

The charges stemmed from an investigation that began in February 2016 when detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, in an undercover capacity, visited Cowan’s office, posing as new patients. During these office visits, the undercover officers received prescriptions for medications from Cowan in exchange for cash payments. The undercover detectives were not physically evaluated by Cowan or anyone else at his office, but instead were issued prescriptions for Xanax and Adderall.

On Nov. 30, Cowan pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly or purposely distributing a controlled dangerous substance, namely Adderall; a third degree crime, Porrino said.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Cowan was required to permanently forfeit his license to practice medicine, authorities said. 

The state will recommend that Cowan be sentenced to non-custodial probation for a term to be determined by a judge when Cowan is sentenced on Jan. 12, 2018.

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