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Law & Order: Prescription for Death

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After Suzanne Morton dies during a visit to the emergency room to pick up some antibiotics on a hectic night shift, her father, a former medic in Vietnam, demands the police charge the hospital with murder, stating they were negligent. Logan and Greevey investigate the doctor who had made some adjustments to her chart, but are soon led to Dr. Edward Auster, a respected doctor who they feel may have been drunk on duty. The other residents are reluctant to say anything for fear their jobs may be in jeopardy, and Stone is faced with the awkward job of having to prosecute a man who appears to be a living saint. Add a recap »

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Writers:: David Black Ed Zuckerman Ed Zuckerman

Director:: John Whitesell

Stars:: Steven Hill (D.A. Adam Schiff); Dann Florek (Capt. Don Cragen); Richard Brooks (A.D.A. Paul Robinette); George Dzundza (Det. Sgt. Max Greevey); Michael Moriarty (Exec. A.D.A. Ben Stone); Chris Noth (Det. Mike Logan)

Guest Star:: Ron Rifkin (Phillip Nevins); Alvin Epstein (Dr. Chester); Erick Avari (Dr. Raza); Maryann Urbano (Jean Mills); John Spencer (Howard Morton); Paul Sparer (Dr. Edward Auster); Leslie Goldman (Judge); W.T. Martin (Dr. Lignell); Daniel Benzali (Medical Examiner); Sean Whitesell (Intern); Joan Kaye (Nurse); Lee Tergesen (Clemens); Chaz McCormack (McInerny); Nick Damici (Dubuque); Shona Tucker (Records Clerk); Kate Wilkinson (Gray-Haired Lady); Maeve McGuire (Dr. Walters); Harry S. Murphy (Don); Russell Horton (Markowitz); Annie Corley (Stewart); Derrick Simmons (Young Man at Hospital [uncredited]); Bruce McCarty (Simonson); Rocky Carroll (Davids); William Roerick (Dr. Abraham); Tom Kubiak (Rasmussen); Stephanie Gordon (Nurse); Ed Setrakian (Hoffman); Frederica Meister (Mrs. Stivic)

Greevey reveals that in 1982, he hit his head on a radiator during a scuffle with a suspect. Initially they diagnosed a brain tumor, but a second diagnosis revealed that it was a subdural hematoma. Ever since he's been suspicious of doctors, feeling they believe that they are God. edit »
Stone's father was an alcoholic, and drank every day at lunch. edit »
Cragen reveals that back when he and Max were partners, he had a drinking problem. He didn't 'look or act' drunk, but he went to his first AA meeting after he found himself standing in Lexington Avenue with his gun pointed at a taxi driver because he 'didn't like the way he was honking' at him. Logan learns of this for the first time when Greevey uses Cragen's previous alcoholism as an example of how a drunk does not always look or act drunk. edit »
Logan's father is alive and well thanks to a heart transplant he had in a hospital seven years prior to this episode. At the time of this episode, his character was dating a woman named Maggie. edit »

German episode title: "T�dliche Cocktails", meaning "Deadly Cocktails". edit »
International Titles:
- Argentina/Mexico - "Ley y el orden, La"
- Canada - "New York district"
- Germany - "Aufrechten - Aus den Akten der Stra�e, Die"
- Sweden - "I lagens namn"
- Denmark - "I lovens navn"
- Finland - "Kova laki"
- Brazil - "Lei & Ordem"
- Spain - "Ley y orden"
- France - "New York - Police judiciaire"
- Greece - "Nomos kai taxi"
- Serbia/Croatia - "Zakon i red" edit »
Although this episode was presented first when the series aired on television, it was not the original pilot episode. Steven Hill appears in this episode as D.A. Adam Schiff, but was not actually part of the original cast and did not join the series until after the pilot. edit »
The font used during all of the titles, credits and the on-screen scene descriptions is Friz Quadrata, created in 1965 by Swiss designer Ernst Friz. edit »
The distinctive clunking sound effect that is used between scenes was actually created by combining a number of different sounds, including the sound made by a group of monks stamping on the floor. edit »

Philip Nevins: Isn't it possible that pneumonia killed Suzanne Morton?
Medical Examiner: It's possible that death rays from Mars killed her. But I don't think so. edit »
Dr. Edward Auster: You solve every case you work on?
Mike Logan: We can tell a felony from a traffic ticket.
Dr. Edward Auster: Look, a patient walks in with a headache. She could have a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a berry aneurysm, a retro-orbital tumor...or does she just have a headache? Do you give her an aspirin? Or do you saw open her skull?
Max Greevey: You make this speech at funerals? edit »
Dr. Edward Auster: Well, people like to believe that medicine is pure science. Medicine is a science. But doctors know it's also a lottery. edit »
Dr. Raza: My children want to stay in this country, my wife wants to stay. And to stay, all I have to do is to be perfect all the time!
Mike Logan: Well, you fell a little short of perfection on Suzanne Morton's chart. edit »
Ben Stone: We got what we needed from Dr. Simonson.
Dr. Edward Auster: An intern, Mr. Stone. Are you planning on asking the cleaning lady to testify, too? About the time I threw the tissue into the wastepaper basket and missed? edit »

Receptionist: This ain't no letter to Dear Abby.

Dear Abby is a syndicated newspaper column that was originally penned by Pauline Friedman Phillips (her twin sister, Esther Friedman Lederer, penned Ann Landers). In later years, Phillips was joined by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who later became the sole voice of Dear Abby. edit »
Max Greevey: I don't know if it was Gunga Din or Auster, but one of them screwed the pooch.

Gunga Din is a poem by Rudyard Kipling about a native water-carrier who assists a British soldier. The reference in question is a rather crass comparison between Indian doctor Raza and the fictional Gunga Din. The term 'screwed the pooch' has been traced back to 1918, initially refered to as 'feeding the dog'. Although there are numerous meanings attributed to the phrase now, it generally refers to when one slacks off at their job, which can often lead to bad things happening. edit »
Dr. Edward Auster: As a matter of fact, Conan Doyle modeled Sherlock Holmes on Dr. Joseph Bell.

Dr. Joseph Bell was a Scottish lecturer considered to be a pioneer in forensic science as he was very good at identifying a subject's occupation and recent activities. Arthur Conan Doyle, famed for creating Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson, had actually served as Bell's clerk for a period of time before he began writing about Sherlock Holmes. edit »
This episode appears to be ripped from the headlines of the Libby Zion case. Zion was an 18-year-old woman who died six hours after admission to a New York hospital. Although her father, an attorney and writer for the New York Times, claimed inadequate care resulted in his daughter's death, the hospital was cleared of criminal charges. edit »

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Gaby8529
member since: Sep 1, 2007
Prescription for Death
The Bottom Line: "Pilot episode"
A girl comes to the E.R and she ends up dead all of the sudden. her father a retired medic from the Vietnam war, shouts Malpractice and demands an investigation.. that's a case for Det's.Logan and Greevey ...Continue »
09/05/07 03:17am | report abuse
10
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JPPT1974
member since: Nov 2, 2005
Prescription for Death
The Bottom Line: "A very special episode"
Pilot to a classic hit show! ...Continue »
05/15/06 08:00pm | report abuse
9.1
10
lakeside44
member since: Jul 9, 2005
Prescription for Death
The Bottom Line: "Fine example"
The first episode of Law & Episode (following the pilot, which is "Everybody's Favorite Bagman") is a sterling example of the show's strengths. (SPOILERS) ...Continue »
07/15/05 08:15pm | report abuse
8.5
10
Atreyu75
member since: Jan 3, 2005
Prescription for Death
The Bottom Line: "Pilot episode"
The first episode of the successful Law and Order francise. Here the viewer gets a good look at police work and prosecution from arrest to trial.

When a young woman dies in a hospital having only suffered a head cold, police investigate the ...Continue »
07/07/05 12:08pm | report abuse