Four of doctor’s patients die; license is suspended

A doctor in Boynton Beach had his license suspended for his alleged involvement in the deaths of four patients, the Florida Department of Health said.

Peter Katz, 73, whose office is located at 3301 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., had already been arrested in April for reportedly prescribing patients with “limited to no exam, no patient file and no medical history,” according to arrest reports. He was also prescribing these medications after business hours and at his own home.

The first patient who died was K.C., a 49-year-old woman, according to the state department. She was taken to a local hospital on July 17, 2015 after suffering from nausea and vomiting for three days.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

An autopsy revealed K.C. died from “multiple drug intoxication” and had cocaine, temazepam, alprazolam, heroin, oxycodone, acetaminophen and buprenorphine in her system.

K.C. was a known drug user and Katz had been treating her for “opioid dependence,” as well as high blood pressure, the state department said.

But her medical records didn’t show a diagnosis or a treatment for hypertension, nor her history of drug abuse.

Katz’s second patient, a 36-year-old man known as R.U., was found dead in his home on Dec. 30, 2015, according to the state department. An