A Pittsburgh area doctor was charged Friday with causing the deaths of two patients by overprescribing opioids, state prosecutors announced.

The attorney general’s office charged Dr. Michel Toret with drug delivery resulting in death for the overdoses of Heather Dervin and Glenn Morgan last year.

His defense lawyer said Toret, 71, of Jeannette, did not violate standards of care.

“Certain facts have come to light that may have put Dr. Toret’s medical care in question, however, we intend on defending against the charges,” said his attorney, Michael DiRiso.

Prosecutors said an investigation was launched in late 2016 after one of the doctor’s employees reported that he was prescribing large amounts of opioids.

Dervin, 26, overdosed on Sept. 10, 2016, about a week after getting methadone from Toret.

The police affidavit used to charge Toret said he continued to prescribe her a variety of drugs even after she reported needing replacements because the drugs had been stolen, a caller told the doctor Dervin was doctor-shopping and a drug screen showed she was using illegal drugs.

Morgan’s October 2016 death in a Kansas hotel room occurred days after Toret prescribed him oxymorphone.