A Houston urologist had his medical license revoked after testing positive for cocaine, following previous allegations of him performing surgeries under the influence.
Dr. Nathan Robert Starke reportedly exhibited signs of impairment while consulting a patient before a prostate biopsy in August 2024. Records indicated he was absent for all but three minutes of one surgical procedure, despite being the attending physician, as reported by KTRK.
By September, Houston Methodist had suspended him and later confirmed that he was no longer working at the hospital.
After the Texas Medical Board to suspend his license in September, drug tests submitted in October indicated the presence of cocaine and kratom in Starke’s system. Kratom is a controversial supplement often associated with energy boosts and managing withdrawal symptoms, as reported by ABC13.
Since earning his medical license in 2017, Starke’s legal troubles shadowed his career. Within a month of being licensed, he was arrested for driving under the influence. His record also includes a 2023 charge for assaulting a former girlfriend, leaving her with a chipped tooth and bruises.
These incidents raised red flags about his fitness to practice, leading to mandated drug and alcohol screenings last year.
“You are putting people’s lives in your hands,” a former patient told ABC13.
Starke previously served as the head of the men’s health clinic, a position he held until the recent suspension. The hospital has since erased his profile. Houston Methodist’s Fannin Street location, where Starke performed surgeries, is currently listed online as “permanently closed.”
What’s next for the doctor remains unclear, yet FOX26 reported that he could get his license back.
Substance use was the leading cause of actions against U.S. physicians’ licenses, comprising 76.3% of cases between 2004 and 2020, a 2022 study found.
