THE murky world of Hollywood’s prescription-peddling doctors was blown open after the death of Friends legend Matthew Perry. 

The comedy actor, 54, suffered a fatal ketamine overdose in October last year after developing an “out of control” dependence on the drug, which he hoped would treat depression and addiction issues. 

It’s since been claimed that Perry splurged £41,000 ($55,000) a month on the illegal substance, which is a Class B in the UK, and took between six and eight shots per day.

An investigation into how the star, who played Chandler Bing in Friends, accessed such high quantities of the drug led to the arrest of five people last month.

Among them was American-British dual-national Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the ‘Ketamine Queen’, who allegedly supplied celebs from her “drug emporium” home in North Hollywood.

The extent of the problem has been examined in TMZ Investigates: Matthew Perry & The Secret Celebrity Drug Ring, which came out on Hulu this week. 

Among those to speak out was Kelly Osbourne, who revealed she was able to fill out her own prescriptions as a teenager and at one point had six doctors writing her scripts.

It also exposed the ‘body brokers’ who pick off ailing addicts, how Michael Jackson’s doctor supplied drugs for ‘Percocet parties’, while other medical professionals exchanged substances for fame, freebies and celeb hangouts. 

Addiction specialist Dr Drew Pinksy told the doc: “Every drug addict knows a secret ring that they can hook up with, but celebrities more so than anyone and it’s not just a drug ring. 

“There’s also secret physician rings and only certain doctors you should go to. And, you know, this one is the doctor du jour. This is the one of the day. And all of it’s bad.” 

Among those to fall foul is Kelly Osbourne, who developed a taste for prescription drugs after having her tonsils removed at 13, describing it as like “this great big warm hug” before addiction nearly ruined her life.

Soon she worked out how to “get that medicine all the time”, explaining: “I didn’t have illegal street drug dealers, all of my drug dealers were doctors. Every single time.” 

Osbourne admits she was “a very good actress” and “would feign a lot of pain”, which led doctors to increase her prescriptions from moderate painkiller Vicodine to “very dangerous” Oxycontin.

They never consulted her parents before dispensing the drugs and the reality show star says she filled out her own prescriptions, which she collected herself as a teenager. 

Osbourne said: “I’d go with my older friend, or… in retrospect when you say this now, it’s so crazy, because there’s no way a 13-year-old would be able to go into a pharmacy and just pick up this kind of medication without having a parental figure there in some way.

“At one point I was going to, like, six different doctors. And I’d have them in New York and LA and London, so that when I ran out, I could call different ones to refill them for me.

“I mean, it would be absolutely impossible for them not to have seen that I was an addict, with the amount that I was being prescribed. 

“If you wanted an Adderall doctor, then I knew who to talk to. If it was opiates, then I also knew which people in Hollywood to go to to find out who their new ‘rock doc’ was.”

Osbourne had seven stints in rehab, which she described as “like a university on how to be a better drug addict. I learned so many tricks.”

I didn’t have illegal street drug dealers, all of my drug dealers were doctors. Every single time

Kelly Osbourne

Sensationally, she alleged some treatment centres sent people to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings in a bid to get addicts to relapse and then guide them back to the centre for expensive treatment.

Calling them “body brokers”, she explains: “They’ll sit outside of AA meetings looking for weak and vulnerable people that they encourage to go and relapse so they can then pick you up again.

“I swear on everything that that is true and it’s heartbreaking.”

‘Pills for parties & freebies’

Some claimed corrupt doctors would trade prescriptions for invites to glossy parties, freebies and friendship with their famous clients.

Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe recalls attending a celebrity party with Dr Arnie Klein, who treated the late Prince of Pop, and claims he had dished out drugs to the host.

It was greed. It was a greedy doctor willing to do something completely outside the scope of medical necessity just to make a buck

Bill Bodner, retired DEA agent

“I’m very familiar with the medications that he gave some patients,” she recalled. 

“That patient was having a party and I went to the party with him, you walk in, and there’s a candy dish that has (opioids) Percocet, Percodan, or some other medication to take.” 

She suspected Klein, who died in 2015, was there “to hobnob with the rich and famous”, which blurred the lines between being a professional and pals with celebs. 

This was backed up by recovering addict and Jackass star Brandon Novak, who explained the relationships were “as corrupt as you could imagine”.

He recalls bribing doctors with swag acquired from events and gifts from sponsors and leading them to believe they would be part of his inner circle. 

“I’d let them think that one day I’ll bring them up to the set, and I’ll bring them to the radio shows, and they can kind of rub elbows with these celebrities,” Novak explained. 

“And they would let me cut the line, they would let me come back two weeks as opposed to three weeks. They’d refill my scripts.”

‘Fame-hungry docs’

While the manipulative nature of addicts was pointed out, experts say “sociopathic” and fame-hungry doctors are to blame for the existence of Hollywood drug rings.

Plastic surgeon Dr Terry Dubrow admitted it is “very easy for people to score drugs” from medical professionals – especially if they are famous.

He said: “Doctors, unfortunately, often want a curry favour with celebrities, as you’re aware, and they will bend the rules. 

“They will actually do things completely and wholly inappropriate to have celebrity clients, to be friends with celebrities, to try to get into the celebrity culture. 

“That’s when things really can go south, as obviously happened in this situation.”

Dr Dubrow said “the holy grail” is having celebrities attend their clinics and talk about them because “then your practice blows up” – and they get invited to celeb parties. 

Matthew Perry’s death: What’s happened so far?

FRIENDS star Matthew Perry was found unresponsive in a hot tub last year at his LA mansion – now as charges are brought against five individuals, we look into the case so far.

His thoughts were echoed by Nick Matthews, the CEO of Summit Malibu Recovery Centres who counts the late Matthew Perry as one of the clients.

The healthcare entrepreneur believes the problem is “getting exponentially worse” due to social media and says doctors are bending the rules to attain celebrity status from their famous clientele.

Matthews adds: “I think that a lot of these doctors lose their way. They start to get caught up in their own agenda, their own celebrity.

“I understand the impulse. It is intoxicating. And it’s so important to remember that these are just individuals that are coming to you for a reason. 

“For you to exploit that… there’s a special place in hell I think you’re reserving.” 

‘Celeb caretaker thrill’

Bill Bodner, a retired DEA agent, explains that ketamine is not approved by the FDA – the US Food and Drug Administration – as a treatment for depression or treating addiction disorders but it “happens every day”.

The drug – classified as Class B in the UK – is “not intended for outside of a clinic”, he explains, and he believes those on it should be monitored. 

Bodner adds: “It’s not intended to be prescribed, dispensed and taken home by somebody and that’s where this really went off the rails. 

“It was greed. It was a greedy doctor willing to do something completely outside the scope of medical necessity just to make a buck.”

Dr Pinksy suggests some doctors may also get a thrill from treating a celebrity – especially someone as high profile as Perry.

The degree to which she harmed other people is wild and like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Dr Drew Pinksy

He added: “It’s mind-boggling, it’s incomprehensible, but it happens.

“Something about taking care of a celebrity turns that caretaker on in a way that they don’t maintain their usual judgment. And then if they’re also a financial inducement, it’s on.”

‘Circle of enablers’

Rehab centre owner Matthews says Perry “very, very clearly had a circle of enablers” and believes the actor didn’t know “how to keep himself safe”.

“When he is the guy writing the checks and dictating what he needs, all these individuals just say yes,” he added.

Speaking about Jasveen Sangha, who was charged in connection with the actor’s death, Dr Pinksy claimed her alleged crimes were “like nothing I’ve ever seen”.

Sangha has also been charged with selling ketamine to Cody McLaury, who died from a drug overdose in 2019 – and Dr Pinksy was shocked that his death didn’t deter her dealing. 

He added: “She kept going. I don’t know what this was. It’s just, this is, I can’t, my poor little brain can’t process this. I mean, the degree to which she harmed other people is wild and like nothing I’ve ever seen.” 

Former DEA agent Bodner suspects Perry’s death may have scared some doctors into playing by the rules again but says it won’t last long as they “have a short-term memory”.

Bodner continues: “Don’t forget, we saw the same thing with opiates, muscle relaxers, benzos. 

“A doctor gets arrested, they all say, ‘Oh, let me look at what I’m doing and make sure it’s okay’ and then little by little, they slip down that hill again and go right back to their old prescribing habits. 

“When there’s money to be made or when there’s the potential lure of celebrity, that’s what’s causing this diversion outside of ethical bounds.” 

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Source: New York Post