The Malpractice On Elvis Presley
On September 30, 1981, Elvis Presley’s Physician (Dr. George Nichopoulos) was convicted of 14 counts of over prescribing stimulants, depressants and painkillers. Not only did he prescribed it to Mr. Presley, but eight other patients as well. Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 to August 16, 1977. Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley was an amazing American singer and actor. Respected as a cultural icon of the 20th century, he was often known and labeled as the “King of Rock and Roll” or “The King”.
The pathologist who conducted the autopsy found traces of more than a dozen drugs in the body. Substances in “significant” quantities and several barbiturates were found, stated by the pathologist which he believes the combination of the substances was “lethal”. In the article of the Washington Post, by Schudel, M. stated that the medical examiner at The Baptist Memorial Hospital determined that the drugs in Presley’s body were not “ concentrations high enough to lead to death”. Stated in The New York Times and The Washington Post, Presley's cause of death was ruled “ cardiac arrhythmia, caused by heart disease and hypertension.
Before the death of the king, Dr. George Nichopoulos was an American physician of Greek descent. On 1946 until 1948, Nichopoulos served in the Army Medical Corps in Germany before studying at the University of the South, where he retrieved his Bachelor of Science in 1951. He then earned his medical degree at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1959. Referencing to Presley, Nichopoulos began treating Presley in 1967 regarding a saddle pain, and took it as a full-time job in 1970 until 1977 when Presley passed away.
In 1981, Nichopoulos was charged and counted for 14 counts, carrying a maximum penalty of a 10 year prison term and a $20,000 fine. According to the New York Times,” the two counts dealing with Mr. Presley’s death say that Dr. Nichopoulos ‘unlawfully, willfully and feloniously’ prescribed a synthetic narcotic, Dilaudid; Percodem and Dmoral, which are pain killers, Quaalude and Parest, Sedatrics; Amytala, a barbituate, Dexdrine and Biphetamine, Stimulants, and an appetite suppressant, Ionamine, from May 17, 1976 to Aug 16, 1977, the day Mr. Presley died. ” According to the courts statement above, the inconsistency and the wrongful decision making of Dr. Nichopoulos led to the malpractice use of prescribing 1,000’s of medications in the wrong way.
After testimonies and jury trials, the medical board suspended his license for three months in 1980. Until 1995, according to the Board of Medical Examiner, his license was revoked after finding out he had misconduct and malpractice on 13 separate patients. After his licence was stripped in 1995, Nichopoulos was working for Jerry Lee Lewis for a short amount of time. He later took a job specified in medical examining insurances for FedEx employees.
Not only did the King passed away from misconduct and unjustifiable reasons, but the malpractice used by the doctor was unnoticeable unprofessional. After a series of events after the King’s death, Dr. George Nichopoulos later passed away on Feb 24, 2016 at the age of 88 fighting an illness.
References
- Famous Medical Malpractice Cases. (2019, April 23). Retrieved from https://www. bluegrassjustice. com/famous-medical-malpractice-cases/.
- Upi. (1981, September 30). PRESLEY'S DOCTOR ON TRIAL OVER PRESCRIPTIONS. Retrieved from https://www. nytimes. com/1981/09/30/us/presley-s-doctor-on-trial-over-prescriptions. html.
- MSMA, J. , & Jmsmamanagingeditor. (n. d. ). VOL. LIX • NO. 4 • 2018. Retrieved from https://issuu. com/jmsmamanagingeditor/docs/april_18_jmsma_epub/50.
- Grimes, W. (2016, February 27). George C. Nichopoulos, Elvis's Last Doctor, Dies at 88. Retrieved from https://www. nytimes. com/2016/02/27/us/george-c-nichopoulos-elviss-last-doctor-dies-at-88. html.
