Search begins to track down victims of drug scam

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Doctors everywhere from Children's Mercy Hospital to an Independence eye clinic were scouring records after learning patients may have received watered down drugs from pharmacist Robert Courtney.

Missouri health officials on Friday publicly released a list of about 400 doctors and clinics possibly affected by the dilutions. The list of Kansas patients was released earlier in the week.

Dr. Carrie Lehr was one of the doctors who received a letter from Missouri health officials notifying her of possible dilutions. But, in an unusual twist, Lehr's letter listed her as the potential victim.

Lehr, now in private practice, also expects she'll soon learn that some of the patients she treated while working at Kansas City Internal Medicine received watered down drugs.

"Being affected as a patient isn't nearly as upsetting as being involved as a doctor," Lehr said. "I feel I did receive a good dose of the medicine because it had the effects it should have. What's much more devastating as a physician is to find out that patients were affected."

The mailings follow an announcement from federal officials that Courtney now has admitted diluting 72 drugs, dating back to at least 1992 and affecting about 400 doctors and 4,200 patients.

Courtney, 49, is being held at a private jail for federal prisoners in Leavenworth, Kan. He pleaded guilty in February to 20 federal charges of tampering with medications. No sentencing has been set.

Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics confirmed Friday that two patients were identified as possibly receiving diluted drugs from Courtney.

"We haven't found anything in looking over patients' records that causes concern," said spokesman Thomas McCormally, who would only acknowledge that the drugs weren't used to fight cancer.