GADSDEN DOCTOR CHALLENGES DECISION TO REVOKE HIS LICENSE

MONTGOMERY - A Montgomery judge on Monday set a July 23 hearing on Gadsden
Dr. Pascual "Pat" Herrera Jr.'s administrative challenge to a decision to
revoke his medical license.

The Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama revoked Herrera's medical
license April 25, 2001, for supplying narcotics without medical
justification, according to the commission.

Herrera appealed on July 31, 2001, and the administrative case was assigned
to Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick. His office announced
the July 23 hearing on Monday.

Wayne Turner is the attorney for the Medical Licensure Commission. "I feel
like the commission order was valid and we'll argue that in circuit court,"
Turner said. "It will be up to the circuit court to decide if we had
sufficient evidence to support that ruling."

Herrera's attorney, Algert S. Agricola Jr., had no comment.

Although the statement from the Medical Licensure Commission never
mentioned the controversial painkiller, Agricola previously attributed the
administrative case against Herrera to the OxyContin scare in Gadsden. The
Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners, the investigative arm of the
Medical Licensure Commission, charged Herrera with four alleged violations,
including improperly supplying prescription drugs.

Several of Herrera's patients said he was a caring physician whose
prescription of painkillers allowed them to live a normal life free of
often debilitating pain.