Doctor Charged With 17 Counts in Drug Case : Narcotics: A Chatsworth physician is accused of writing illegal prescriptions for medications sold by heroin addicts.

A Chatsworth doctor has been charged with 17 felony counts for illegally prescribing drugs to heroin addicts who then sold them on the street, authorities said Wednesday.

Dr. Don Burton Hocker, 66, was arrested Tuesday at his office in the 20900 block of Devonshire Street after a six-month investigation by agents from the state attorney general’s office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Henry Torres said Hocker provided 15 to 20 patients with prescriptions for two drugs--Doriden and Tylenol with codeine--that produce the same sensation as heroin when taken together.

Doriden is a powerful sedative generally prescribed in 20-pill batches, about a two weeks’ supply. But Hocker allegedly prescribed as many as 40 tablets at once, or about a month’s supply. He also prescribed 50 to 100 tablets of Tylenol with codeine, also known as Tylenol 4.

Together, the drugs are called “loads� or “doors and fours� and are well-known in the drug culture as a substitute for heroin. Andy Alonso, special agent supervisor for the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, said the prescriptions could be filled for about $75 and then divided up and sold on the street for as much as $3,000.

Since most pharmacies refuse to fill prescriptions for the two drugs together, Hocker’s patients devised schemes to hide the combination, such as going to separate dispensers, Alonso said.

Hocker, a general practitioner, could not be reached for comment.

According to Alonso, Hocker had been writing illegal prescriptions for several years, but did not appear to reap any profit except the $60 or so that he charged each patient for the office visits.

“As far as him making money, it was not a tremendous amount,� Alonso said.

The investigation began last year after several pharmacies reported an increase in the number of large Doriden prescriptions written by Hocker. After months of surveillance and an undercover operation involving a DEA agent, investigators determined that Hocker was well aware that his prescriptions were being abused.

“His attitude was, ‘I don’t want to know what you’re going to do with this,’ � Torres said.

In addition to Tuesday’s charge, Hocker is under investigation by the state medical board on similar allegations of abusing his prescription power, spokeswoman Janie Cordray said. Cordray said there were no other complaints or disciplinary actions on Hocker’s record.

Hocker was freed shortly after his arrest on $10,000 bail. He will be arraigned July 8 in San Fernando Municipal Court.