Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has filed a complaint with police against seven doctors, including senior psychiatrist Pol Col Dr Anchulee Theerawongpaisal, for allegedly using the identities of deceased patients to illegally obtain controlled substances.
Dr Anchulee, known publicly as “Dr Air” from Police General Hospital, was arrested last week at her Bangkok residence after large quantities of alprazolam were found in her police housing unit.
Authorities allege she ordered 15 million baht worth of the prescription sedative from the FDA since 2022. The irregular activity was flagged during a routine FDA inspection.
FDA officials, including Dr Thanakrit Jitareerat, assistant to the Public Health Minister, and Chatchai Panichsupphaporn, director of narcotics control, filed the complaint with Provincial Police Region (PPR) 1.
The investigation found that identities from 370 deceased individuals were used from a total of 3,909 patient records to request drugs illegally.
Out of 13 clinics inspected, nine were linked to suspicious drug orders, allegedly supplied to Dr Anchulee. Of the seven doctors involved, six are from private clinics, not public hospitals.
The FDA is urging police to investigate charges of illegal distribution of narcotics, use of false documents, and filing false official reports.
Pol Maj Gen Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of PPR 1, accepted the case and confirmed a full probe is now underway.
