LAKE CITY, Fla. -- A Lake City physician's license was restricted last week after at least two patients died after taking large amount of pain killers that the doctor prescribed.

A criminal investigation of Dr. Barnie Vanzant by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office was inconclusive, but the information was turned over to the Florida Department of Health. After conducting its own investigation, Florida's surgeon general on Nov. 25 ordered an emergency restriction on Vanzant's license.

Under the restriction, Vanzant is allowed to practice but not prescribe.

In May, the body of 31-year-old Daniel Joseph Lewis was found by his mother. Columbia County detectives found that Vanzant had prescribed Lewis 1,070 Alprazolam pills, 1,040 Methadone pills, 670 Loratab pills and some Soma pills over a 114-day period.

In August, 25-year-old Travis Bryan Walls was found dead in the home of a friend. The investigation revealed Vanzant wrote prescriptions for Walls in less than one year that totaled about 1,938 Methadone pills and 996 Alprazolam pills as well as prescriptions for Loratab and Ultram.

In both cases, the Department of Health called Dr. Vanzant's conduct “egregious" and said that it posed an immediate and serious danger to the public health, safety and welfare.

Vanzant has challenged the restrictions on his license, but state health officials told Channel 4 that when its investigation is complete, Florida's surgeon general will have options available ranging from reinstating the licenses to suspension to revocation.