Dying for Relief

Dr. John Dimowo, who was profiled in a Times series on overdose deaths, is accused of prescribing narcotics to undercover agents posing as patients.

State medical authorities say Dr. Van H. Vu caused the deaths of three patients by negligently prescribing them powerful narcotics.

Prescription drug overdoses, a dangerous side effect of the nation’s embrace of narcotic painkillers, are a “substantial” burden on hospitals and the economy, according to a new study of emergency room visits.