University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) physicians reported two incidents of prescription forgery intended to obtain controlled substances to authorities on April 2 and 3.

The forged prescriptions were detected after pharmacists in local pharmacies attempted to verify the prescriptions they received with the physicians whose names appeared on the prescriptions. The physicians denied signing the prescriptions. The UCPD has not been actively involved in the case but was “notified of the incidents for information purposes,” UCPD spokesperson Robert Mason said.

Prescription fraud is a class three or four felony and falls under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to Mason. Because the CPD and the DEA are better equipped to investigate these incidents, Mason said, the UCPD is not currently investigating the cases.

It is unknown what, if any, relationship there is between the two reported incidents. Mason said the issue will be part of the CPD investigation.

Another forgery of a UCMC physician’s signature for prescription medications was reported in 2012.

Mason said that he was “not aware of any [UChicago] students ever being involved in incidents of this nature.”

At the time of publication an officer in the CPD news office did not have a comment on the progress of the case.