On November 26, 2004, this paper published an editorial entitled “The Messenger Hit Again.” Readers of that editorial may have reached the following conclusions:
• At the time the editorial was published, Dr. Secerbegovic was the only doctor practising in Watson Lake, Yukon.
• Dr. Secerbegovic owned the only pharmacy in Watson Lake.
• In a one-year period in 2002-2003, Dr. Secerbegovic deliberately over-prescribed Ativan and Tylenol 3 at his medical clinic in order to increase sales in his pharmacy, resulting in greater profit to him.
• As a result of Dr. Secerbegovic’s over-prescription of these drugs, two men died, a woman was suffering from liver disease and had been the victim of domestic assault, a third person had been charged with second-degree murder, and another was going to jail for breaking and entering and domestic assault.
None of this was true. The true facts are as follows:
• At the time. Dr. Secerbegovic was one of four doctors in Watson Lake.
• Dr. Secerbegovic’s personal prescriptions for Ativan and Tylenol 3 did not increase in 2002-2003 compared to previous years.
• At no time did Dr. Secerbegovic over-prescribe prescription drugs for personal gain.
• Dr. Secerbegovic had not recently prescribed drugs to any of the people referred to in the editorial.
• Neither of the two people referred to in the editorial who died were prescribed drugs by any doctor in Watson Lake, nor did prescription drugs cause their deaths.
• It has not been established that prescription drugs played any part in the suffering of the other people referred to in the editorial.
The Yukon News sincerely apologizes to Dr. Secerbegovic for the pain suffered by Dr. Secerbegovic, his family and the citizens of Watson Lake as a result of the publication of the editorial.