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An anesthesiologist has been accused of falsifying patient records at Buffalo General Medical Center in order to obtain the powerful opioid fentanyl, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.
Dr. John R. LoFaso, 34, was arraigned Tuesday morning in Buffalo City Court on a felony charge of falsifying business records, as well as two misdemeanors – seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fraud and deceit related to controlled substances, prosecutors said.
LoFaso, of Williamsville, has been accused of fraudulently modifying a patient’s medical records after the patient’s chart had been closed in order to obtain fentanyl for personal use.
LoFaso was not an employee of the hospital, but rather worked for a private physician group that provided anesthesia services at Kaleida Health hospitals, said Michael P. Hughes, Kaleida’s chief administrative officer.
The hospital discovered the diversion of the drug as part of an internal audit process and notified the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, Hughes said in an email.
No patient was impacted or harmed because of the drug diversion, he said.
An internal investigation by the hospital identified six occasions where LoFaso allegedly altered records, including one at about 1:49 a.m. Jan. 3, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
LoFaso was arrested by Buffalo police in March and issued a ticket to appear in court Tuesday. His case was transferred to opiate court and he was released on his own recognizance.