The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has revoked a Pennsylvania psychiatrist’s controlled-substance registration after finding that he falsified medical records, including documents claiming an undercover investigator used marijuana and possessed a medical marijuana card despite never making those statements.
The decision, published today in the Federal Register, concerns Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai of Easton, Pennsylvania. Federal regulators determined that Rifai fabricated portions of a patient’s medical history and issued multiple stimulant prescriptions without conducting adequate evaluations or establishing a legitimate medical purpose.
According to the DEA, Rifai’s records claimed the undercover investigator periodically used marijuana to manage anxiety and reduce alcohol consumption. The documents also stated that she reported having a medical marijuana card, although the physician’s records indicated her name could not be found in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana registry.
The investigator denied ever making those statements, and recordings of her interactions with Rifai and his staff supported her account. The records also included a purported letter terminating the physician-patient relationship because of her marijuana use. Investigators determined that she never received the letter or any other notification that her treatment had been terminated.
The DEA found additional evidence of falsification involving medical questionnaires, psychiatric evaluations and diagnostic testing. The investigator testified that she never completed several documents appearing in her medical file and that her signature had been copied onto forms without her knowledge or consent.
The investigation also examined three prescriptions Rifai issued for dextroamphetamine-amphetamine, a Schedule II stimulant, between May and August 2021. The dosage increased from 5 milligrams to 15 milligrams over that period. Federal regulators found that Rifai failed to conduct adequate medical evaluations, properly diagnose the investigator’s condition or reassess her before increasing the medication.
The DEA concluded that the falsified medical records were intended to conceal improper prescribing practices. The agency determined that Rifai violated federal controlled-substance requirements and Pennsylvania medical recordkeeping standards, finding that his continued registration would be inconsistent with the public interest.
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole signed the revocation order October 5. The decision takes effect November 18 and also denies any pending applications by Rifai to renew or modify his registration or obtain additional DEA registrations in Pennsylvania.
