Let’s see, who would be best qualified to resolve medical issues?

CANTON – Allegations that a Madrid doctor over prescribed narcotics and other painkillers should have been dealt with by his fellow physicians and not the criminal justice system, according to the president of the Medical Society of the County of St. Lawrence.

Dr. James L. Latimer closed his office and surrendered his state and federal license a week ago to avoid prosecution. The actions grew out of a long-running investigation by state police and federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents into illegal trafficking of prescription drugs within the county.

“We are very disappointed how the case of Dr. Latimer was handled by the district attorney’s office,” J. Lucas Koberda, president of the medical society, said in a prepared statement released Thursday.

“To our knowledge Dr. Latimer’s prescribing anti-pain medication pattern did not justify criminal charges to be applied,” Dr. Koberda said. Instead, he said, the issue should have been addressed by peer review medical organizations of local doctors or by the state Organization of Professional Medical Conduct.

“We would prefer to have worked with local authorities from the beginning when the case was starting to be investigated in order to have prevented any possible future medical misconduct which effects our community,” Dr. Koberda said.