Dr. Salvador Plasencia, accused in Matthew Perry's death, reopens practice

One of the doctors charged in connection with the death of Matthew Perry has been told that he can reopen his practice – but he is no longer allowed to prescribe his patients narcotics such as ketamine, which he administered to the drug-addicted “Friends” actor before his fatal overdose, according to the indictment.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia will reopen his Malibu Canyon Urgent Care practice as early as Tuesday after his arrest last week, his attorney Stefan Sacks told TMZ.

Plasencia, 42, was one of five defendants who allegedly defrauded Perry, 54, out of thousands of dollars for vials of ketamine, which he injected into the popular actor in the weeks before his fatal overdose last October.

Plasencia and another doctor, Mark Chavez, are said to have supplied the actor with around 20 vials of ketamine in exchange for $55,000 in cash. Plasencia is said to have told another patient that Perry's addiction was “getting out of control,” prosecutors said.

In order to continue his practice, Plasencia is now required to inform all of his patients about his ongoing criminal proceedings, Sacks told the outlet.

Plasencia was also stripped of his registration with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a certification that allows doctors to prescribe controlled substances such as ketamine to their patients.

According to Plasencia's lawyer, he is still allowed to administer non-controlled medications such as antibiotics, but his patients must sign a waiver stating in writing that they wish to continue to be treated by Plasencia while the criminal proceedings are ongoing.

Although Plasencia was given permission to prescribe and administer the powerful sedative to Perry at the time, prosecutors allege that the doctor took the opportunity to capitalize on the Hollywood star's addiction.

In addition to the additional fee Plasencia charged the actor – he allegedly had to pay $2,000 for a $12 vial of the drug – he also texted Chavez, according to court documents, saying, “I wonder how much this idiot is going to pay.”

He also expressed a desire to become Perry's contact on drug issues and allegedly instructed Perry's longtime assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, who is also charged in the case, on how to inject his boss with the drugs.

However, Plasencia appeared to backtrack just two weeks after Perry's death, after the actor suffered a seizure in which he “froze” when he was injected with a “large dose” of the drug, the documents say.

“We won’t do that again,” he reportedly told Iwamasa after the actor’s blood pressure skyrocketed.

His lawyer told TMZ that he stopped treating Perry several weeks before his death and considers the charges against him an overstepping of the federal government's authority.

In addition to the two doctors and Perry's live-in assistant, alleged street dealer Erik Fleming and the so-called “ketamine queen” of Los Angeles, Jasveen Sangha, were also charged with Perry's death.

Plasencia and Sangha are both charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

Plasencia is also charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of tampering with or falsifying documents or records in connection with a federal investigation.

Meanwhile, Fleming, Iwamasa and Chavez entered into plea deals in exchange for pleading guilty to various charges, including conspiracy to distribute ketamine and conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death.

Plasencia, who pleaded not guilty, was released on bail last Friday.