Doctor provides information about patients to avoid drug charges

In order for a doctor to provide medical care to patients in Pennsylvania or any other state in the country, they must be licensed by the state board. If the board determines the doctor is unfit for treating patients or has violated any rules, they may choose to revoke the doctor’s medical license and stop him or her from practicing medicine in that particular state. This is often done as a way to protect unknowing patients from seeing doctors who have had serious violations in the past. Medication errors, fatal mistakes and confidentiality violations may be more common with doctors who violate the rules of the state board.

Although the doctor has confessed to his part in a cocaine ring and testified that he would rat out his patients to avoid jail time, the state of Wisconsin has not revoked his license to practice medicine. One patient only became aware of these problems after making appointments with the doctor for her daughter.

The doctor testified that he would be willing to trap his patients into buying or selling drugs if his charges were reduced. Patients feel they were trapped and taken advantage of, while the state board claims the goal with addicted doctors should be to help them recover.

Illinois and Arizona have both barred the doctor from practicing in their states, claiming they did so to protect the public. Patients who feel they have had their confidence violated or been subjected to treatment by a doctor who should not be practicing medicine may benefit from consulting an attorney to discuss their options.

Source: FOX Milwaukee, “Doctor involved in cocaine ring still practicing medicine,” Meghan Dwyer, July 18, 2013