Doctor accused of prescribing unproven COVID-19 treatments fired by Pa. hospital

Dr. Edith Behr, a former surgeon with Phoenixville Hospital, is accused of issuing prescriptions for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

• David Wenner/PennLive
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  David Wenner has worked for The Patriot-News/PennLive since 1999 and has won numerous awards for his reporting. He often writes about health care as well as breaking news. He appreciates knowing about any important, troubling or otherwise newsworthy situation in central Pennsylvania. He can be reached at dwenner@pennlive.com or 717-255-8172.

A Pennsylvania surgeon has been fired after being accused of prescribing unproven drugs to treat or prevent COVID-19, possibly to people referred to her through social media.

Dr. Edith Behr, a former surgeon with Phoenixville Hospital, is accused of issuing prescriptions for ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. The prescriptions may have been coordinated by a woman with a Facebook account in Lebanon County.

“Tower Health became aware yesterday of the allegations involving Dr. Edith Behr prescribing Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19. We investigated the matter and, as a result, Dr. Behr’s employment with Tower Health Medical Group has been terminated effective immediately,” according to an emailed statement from Tower Health, which is the owner of Phoenixville Hospital.

Attempts to reach Behr at multiple phone listings were unsuccessful on Thursday.

Christine Mason used the Facebook account of Taste of Sicily restaurant in Palmyra to connect people seeking ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to a doctor willing to write the prescriptions. She didn’t name Behr, saying the prescriptions came from a female surgeon. At least one social media user claimed he identified Behr as the source of the prescriptions and reported her to her employer and authorities.

Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are approved drugs, but not for treating COVID-19. Studies so far are inconclusive about whether they help. Federal authorities and most doctors warn against using either of them for COVID-19.

Tower Health operates multiple hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania.

Tower Health said it “encourages all eligible individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to practice appropriate masking and social distancing. These are the best options for discouraging the spread of the virus, and to minimize risk of serious illness, hospitalization, and death. We will continue to follow recommendations from the CDC and other health authorities in the treatment of the COVID-19 virus.”

Mason has been posting daily social media videos for the past week discussing how she was trying to help people seeking unapproved COVID-19 treatments who were stymied by doctors and pharmacists. In the comment section of her posts the drugs were referred to as “I and H.”

She didn’t respond to interview requests from PennLive.

Speaking on the conservative Wendy Bell radio show Thursday, Mason described how she came into contact with a doctor to whom she passed along names of people who wanted prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. “I’m not a doctor, I can’t prescribe,” she said. In her posts, she said she “flooded” the doctor with requests.

Her social media posts have drawn the attention of many people who dispute the benefits of COVID-19 vaccine and the standard treatments. One pleaded for help, describing a family member who was seriously ill with COVID-19, and the family’s reluctance to go to the hospital.

Her posts have also caught the attention of people who were appalled at the idea of potentially-illegal prescribing and who reported Mason to law enforcement authorities. The Lebanon County District Attorney referred the allegations to the state attorney general, saying they potentially spanned multiple counties.

Mason referred to the surgeon providing the prescriptions as a “hero” and an “angel,” and urged other doctors to break the law if necessary in prescribing unapproved COVID-19 treatments.

In a recent social media video, Mason referred to being investigated, and said she has no fear because she did nothing wrong.

It’s legal for doctors to prescribe drugs for unapproved purposes, which is known as “off-label” use. However, doctors can run afoul of the law or be found liable if it results in harm to a patient. Further, doctors in Pennsylvania are required to consider things such as patients’ medical history and drug allergies, and whether the off-label use “falls within the standards of acceptable and prevailing medical practice in each case.”