http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6819669-hamilton-marijuana-doctor-gets-three-month-suspension/
Karma's a bitch, eh dude
A Hamilton medical marijuana physician has been handed a three-month suspension for misconduct.
Dr. Ira Price pleaded no contest to allegations heard by the discipline committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, including altering a medical record, and misleading a college investigator regarding his patient's chart.
"The College relies on the honesty of its members in achieving self governance," committee chair Pamela Chart said during the official reprimand of Price Monday morning. "Any failure to be completely honest with the College in its investigative process undermines professional regulation and the public's confidence in the profession."
The allegations against Price, the medical director of Synergy Health Services Inc. in Hamilton, stemmed from a patient who visited Price from December 2012 to April 2014 and complained that Price had acted unprofessionally by terminating him from his practice.
In response to the complaint before the College, Price provided a statement that claimed the patient refused a physical examination. The patient denied that fact.
A forensic examination revealed that Price had written multiple entries in the patient's chart during different periods, despite an earlier letter from Price stating that all chart entries were made "on the dates indicated in (the patient)'s records, and at the same time as the other entries included under each date-entry."
That included phrases purported to be written in December 2012, but indented onto a form from January 2013. Phrases like "no renewal," "Refusing exam," and "May have to D/C licence if this continues" were written during a different period than the followup report from that day. "Secretary feels threatened by conversation" was purported to have been written in April 2014, but was written at a different writing period than the rest of the note from that day.
Price did not refute the forensic reports, but offered a response that included explanations that he frequently writes chart notes in different sittings and with different pens, he could not recall when he completed entries in the patient's chart, and that he may have backdated notes in the patient's chart.
"In this case, the safety of my staff in the workplace was my paramount concern," Price said in a written response following the hearing. "There are times when it is difficult to chart difficult patient interactions in full at the time that events are unfolding because they involve multiple sources and interactions."
The discipline committee suspended Price for three months starting Sept. 1, and ordered him to complete education on medical record keeping and ethics.
Price had previously been required to complete a record keeping course and was issued a written caution by the college for his record keeping.
The committee also ordered Price to use electronic record keeping.
Price wrote that he believes moving to an electronic medical record system will work to alleviate concerns of dating and signing of chart entries in cases like these.
"Prescribing Cannabis as a medication, should not be taken lightly and strict adherence to the protocols that I have developed over the years should be maintained to their highest level, to avoid the same issues that plague us with opioid abuse," said Price.
Synergy Health Services' website lists Price as an assistant clinical professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, at McMaster University.
Karma's a bitch, eh dude
A Hamilton medical marijuana physician has been handed a three-month suspension for misconduct.
Dr. Ira Price pleaded no contest to allegations heard by the discipline committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, including altering a medical record, and misleading a college investigator regarding his patient's chart.
"The College relies on the honesty of its members in achieving self governance," committee chair Pamela Chart said during the official reprimand of Price Monday morning. "Any failure to be completely honest with the College in its investigative process undermines professional regulation and the public's confidence in the profession."
The allegations against Price, the medical director of Synergy Health Services Inc. in Hamilton, stemmed from a patient who visited Price from December 2012 to April 2014 and complained that Price had acted unprofessionally by terminating him from his practice.
In response to the complaint before the College, Price provided a statement that claimed the patient refused a physical examination. The patient denied that fact.
A forensic examination revealed that Price had written multiple entries in the patient's chart during different periods, despite an earlier letter from Price stating that all chart entries were made "on the dates indicated in (the patient)'s records, and at the same time as the other entries included under each date-entry."
That included phrases purported to be written in December 2012, but indented onto a form from January 2013. Phrases like "no renewal," "Refusing exam," and "May have to D/C licence if this continues" were written during a different period than the followup report from that day. "Secretary feels threatened by conversation" was purported to have been written in April 2014, but was written at a different writing period than the rest of the note from that day.
Price did not refute the forensic reports, but offered a response that included explanations that he frequently writes chart notes in different sittings and with different pens, he could not recall when he completed entries in the patient's chart, and that he may have backdated notes in the patient's chart.
"In this case, the safety of my staff in the workplace was my paramount concern," Price said in a written response following the hearing. "There are times when it is difficult to chart difficult patient interactions in full at the time that events are unfolding because they involve multiple sources and interactions."
The discipline committee suspended Price for three months starting Sept. 1, and ordered him to complete education on medical record keeping and ethics.
Price had previously been required to complete a record keeping course and was issued a written caution by the college for his record keeping.
The committee also ordered Price to use electronic record keeping.
Price wrote that he believes moving to an electronic medical record system will work to alleviate concerns of dating and signing of chart entries in cases like these.
"Prescribing Cannabis as a medication, should not be taken lightly and strict adherence to the protocols that I have developed over the years should be maintained to their highest level, to avoid the same issues that plague us with opioid abuse," said Price.
Synergy Health Services' website lists Price as an assistant clinical professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, at McMaster University.
