Family Medical Clinic in Soldotna was forced to shut its doors on Tuesday afternoon following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation out of Anchorage.

According to a release issued on Wednesday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office out of Anchorage, Dr. Lavern R. Davidhizar, 74, of Soldotna owns and practices at Family Medical Clinic in Soldotna.

Davidhizar has been licensed as an Osteopathic Physician since 1978 and holds an Alaska Medical License. Davidhizar was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint that charges him with illegally distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice.

The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint alleges that between 2017 and 2019, Davidhizar prescribed over 700,000 narcotic pills. During that time, the leading medications prescribed, but not limited to, were hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, methadone, and tramadol.

According to the affidavit, drug abusers on the Kenai Peninsula referred to Davidhizar as the “Candy Man” because it was common knowledge that people could obtain pain medication prescriptions from him even though they did not have a legitimate medical need. Law enforcement agencies continue to investigate Davidhizar’s prescribing history.

In 1999, Davidhizar received a reprimand from the Alaska Medical Board for issuing 13 prescriptions, including some narcotics, to a patient over a period of months without keeping any medical records. He was put on probation for two years and fined $5,000.

After that, more complaints were filed with the medical board about Davidhizar’s prescribing practices: At least three separate allegations over multiple years that the doctor over-prescribed pain medications “resulting in controlled substance addiction,” as well as failed to appropriately track prescriptions.

It wasn’t until 2009 that the state medical board again put the doctor’s license under probation for five years, requiring safeguards like random monitoring of pain management patient records.

Lt. Duane Kant with SPD: “The Soldotna Police Department was present at the Family Medical Clinic yesterday to provide outdoor scene security for federal agencies inside the building doing an investigation.”

Family Medical Clinic, off Rockwell Ave, opened in 1985. Family Medical Clinic provides family-oriented general medical care.

Photo courtesy of Dan Gensel with KSRM