Advice requested – physician using name of friend to write prescription for self

[Diane]

A friend of mine works one day a week in the home of a pediatrician who in the past, as part of a divorce and child custody proceeding, was required to go for twice-weekly drug testing over a two year period. This pediatrician, who is not working now, has reputedly been in difficulty in the past for over-prescribing and over-using pain medication and has been known to lie and manipulate others to protect herself and/or get what she wants. She has recently had surgery under her eyes.

Here is the real problem: the pediatrician nervously said to my friend a few days ago that she had to tell her about something that she (the pediatrician) had done in “case someone calls you.” The pediatrician said that she had used the name of my friend to write a prescription for pain medication for herself. The pediatrician does not have my friend’s ID so it may be that the medication was not a controlled substance, but my friend does not know that for sure. My friend has no intention of lying or concealing anything to protect the pediatrician but is concerned about being implicated in some way and/or some form of retaliation. She does not know where the prescription was filled.

My friend, whom I have known for years, asked for my advice. My advice was to quit working for this woman, but the job pays very well so the friend is reluctant to do that. I thought of talking to my pharmacist to get his advice, but he might ask me the names of the parties involved. I feel like I would have to give them to him, but would like to understand better what all the implications of doing that would be. If anyone has any good advice for me or my friend, please either PM me or post it here.

Thank you very much.

Diane

 

[Blondie]

Ouch- that sounds moderately illegal. I think your first paragraph sort of spells it out real clear and your friend is a fool to stay. Your friend needs to get another job before she lands in the clink too. Is your friend now complicit in this crime if she knows of it and does nothing? Yikes, crazyville...time to move on as this can only get worse. Sounds like a call to the medical board may be in order. Hopefully doc is not treating anyone and has no plans to. Kinda makes you wonder what else doc has been up to that your friend doesn't know about. Has she checked her credit card balances lately???

 

[ricoba]

Ouch- that sounds moderately illegal.

It's more than moderately illegal, it's very illegal.

My advice would be for the friend to turn the Dr. into the state medical board.

This doctor has a serious drug problem and needs help.

 

[GetawaysRus]

I would wonder if this doctor has local hospital privileges. Hospitals generally have a committee that deals with hospital privileges and often a subcommitte of some sort that deals with and assists impaired physicians. Or, if no such committee exists, there is usually a physician who is chief-of-staff. Any of these would be reasonable starting points.

If I were making such a report, I would want assurances that my report would be handled confidentially.

It is hard to see it at the outset, but she is doing this doctor a favor by making such a report. Problems such as this will only escalate if they are not dealt with. Physicians who are drug abusers need to be dealt with before they harm a patient or harm themselves.

 

[Fern Modena]

I think that your friend has to do both things, quit her job and also report the doctor to the proper authorities (which would probably would include the police). I know this might be distasteful to your friend, but she must do all of this. Why? Once this woman has used her name to successfully get a prescription, she's not likely to stop just because your friend is no longer in her employ.

The doctor has put your friend in an ackward position to say the least. Your friend is aware of an illegal act involving drugs. If your friend doesn't report this, she risks being implicated in the scheme at some point since she knew about it and didn't try to stop it.

Fern

 

[Beaglemom3]

I have prescriptive authority and it is a privilege which should never, ever be abused by falsification. I don't care whether or not it's a controlled substance (likely) or other, it is still a violation, period.

This prescriber is abusing her privilege and should be reported at once to the local board of registration asap. It can be done anonymously. From there, they can investigate and sort it out. Frequently, abusers are required to undergo evaluation and rehab.

Ricoba is correct.

If you need the link to the proper authority, just let me know which state and I will post it for you.

Absolutely shameful.

Diane, you were good to ask for direction on this as you may have saved someone from harm or even worse.

B

 

[Diane]

Thank you. I am glad everyone agrees that my friend needs to quit this job. She just read all your posts and is now convinced too.

I called the NM State Medical Board and talked to one of its investigators. She said that what the physician did is definitely against the AMA Code of Ethics, if nothing else. The investigator encouraged my friend to file a complaint. It can be done anonymously but then the investigative staff has only the statement of my friend to go on and would not know the name for which the prescription was written. Much better for the staff to have the name, of course. Not sure my friend is up to that.

The physician has the right to respond and if there is no satisfactory resolution it could go to a hearing. The investigator said that that was not likely, but if it did come to that, the physician had the right to a hearing and have an attorney cross examine my friend. The NM State Medical Board is running six months behind in its investigations so nothing would happen for a long time.

The physician is not now practicing so there is probably not a question of protecting patients.

Not sure where that leaves things.

Diane

 

[ricoba]

The physician is not now practicing so there is probably not a question of protecting patients.

Even so, this doctor needs personal help. Enabling her to continue this devious behavior will only allow her to continue to hurt herself and perhaps others.

 

[Diane]

I don't think there is any "enabling" involved here. The doctor is in a social and economic position far superior to that of my friend. My friend is hurt, upset and angry by what this doctor has done to her, in no way helped the doctor to do this, will not "cover" for her, and, in my opinion, needs protection and reassurance more than the doctor needs help, which, I suspect would be rejected by the doctor who is a very self-centered individual. A six month lag in investigations, with no assurance of anonoymity is troublesome, but I do appreciate your opinion and will pass it on.

Diane

 

[dougp26364]

I'm wondering if your friends livelyhood is worth his/her license to practice? If the answer to that is no, then they should quit and call the proper autorities while he/she still can without additional risk to the license that provides his/her income.

I know how tempting it is to keep a great paying job. I also know how bad it is to have to start over from scratch. I guess your friend will have to be the one to weigh any risk/reward scenario.

 

[DeniseM]

Your original post says she works one day a week in the doctor's home. So I am guessing house cleaning or child care? I can't imagine that a part-time job is worth the risk.

 

[ricoba]

I don't think there is any "enabling" involved here. The doctor is in a social and economic position far superior to that of my friend. My friend is hurt, upset and angry by what this doctor has done to her, in no way helped the doctor to do this, will not "cover" for her, and, in my opinion, needs protection and reassurance more than the doctor needs help, which, I suspect would be rejected by the doctor who is a very self-centered individual. A six month lag in investigations, with no assurance of anonoymity is troublesome, but I do appreciate your opinion and will pass it on.

Diane

When I used the term enabling, I didn't intend it to be offensive.

In drug and alcohol intervention, enablers are people who knowingly or unknowingly allow the abuser to continue his or her addiction.

Sorry, if you took it the wrong way. It was meant as a note of encouragement not disparagement.

 

[Diane]

Denise, you are right. My friend does housecleaning for this doctor. And, based on everything she has read here while at my house today, realizes it is not worth continuing. Obviously, she has no control over what this physician will do in the future, but being out of sight may, hopefully, put her out of mind.

Rick, no apology needed. I took "enabling" to mean more than you meant. I do appreciate your opinion and comments.

Diane

 

[Keitht]

If your friend stays quiet about this and it eventually does come out that she knew what was going on she will be in just as much trouble as the doctor.
She really has no option but to report what the doctor said to her. She shouldnt' feel disloyal in any way. Just remember that this doctor has the health and welfare of others in her hands. If she is affected by taking of illegally obtained substances she is a danger to others and must be stopped.

 

[Diane]

I can't argue with what you say about this abuse should be stopped, but if the NM State Medical Board takes six months to even do an investigation I really wonder of anything would be done. I don't know whether a "crime" has been committed and what is to stop the physician from saying to the police, if they were called, that she never said anything like that to my friend? Any pharmacists out there who would have any insight into how abuses of this sort are best handled?

Diane

 

[grest]

What a position for your friend to be in! Definitely she needs to tell the authorities so that she is not ever seen as part of this illegal activity. Good for you for giving her your support.
Connie

 

[Rose Pink]

The way I see it is that there are two issues here:
1. Violation of professional ethics which will be addressed by the state medical board and
2. Violation of the law which needs to be reported to the appropriate policing agency. I don't know if that is local or federal.

 

[KforKitty]

Chances are if the dr. does have a drug dependency problem then its likely not just the one occasion she has written precriptions for herself in others names. An investigation into her precribing patterns would probably reveal this and I would guess that by revealing this to your friend that the dr. suspected that she was already being investigated. You say the dr. is no longer practising? If so I would be surprised if she still has prescribing privileges - she wouldn't have here in the UK.

Kitty

 

[Beaglemom3]

If they open an investigation, and they should, they can cross check her prescriptions for controlled substances using her DEA # and then verify Rx-to-receipient. They can cross check all other non-narcotics, too, but without the DEA #.


This could get ugly and actually, there's always some good that comes out of bad.

 

[Mosca]

Whoa; there is something more; Identity Theft. The doctor has stolen your friend's identity to write the prescription, and also stolen it to claim the drugs (by keeping them for herself). Your friend now has it on record somewhere that she has taken this prescription; what if it is Oxycontin? Does she really want that on her medical record?

It is sad that she has gotten dragged into this, but IMO she HAS TO report it as a criminal matter, not to the NM AMA but to the police. Otherwise, her own personal medical history has now been compromised. It might cost her medical coverage some day.

And it won't stop with just this one prescription; I'd even bet that there are quite a few already written. And that the noose is possibly tightening on the doctor, that's why she told your friend to cover for her.

 

[ricoba]

Whoa; there is something more; Identity Theft. The doctor has stolen your friend's identity to write the prescription, and also stolen it to claim the drugs (by keeping them for herself). Your friend now has it on record somewhere that she has taken this prescription; what if it is Oxycontin? Does she really want that on her medical record?

Boy, that sounds right on. That is something I didn't think about, but I bet you are 100% correct on the identity theft issue! Yikes!

 

[Diane]

I didn't think identity theft or that my friend's medical record might be compromised. Good points. Will see my friend again tomorrow. In the meantime I think I will stop at my pharmacy. Have a good relationship with one of the pharmacists there. Bet he will have some practical advice, like where and how to report this, hopefully, with as few repercussions as possible for my friend.

Thanks so much for all the good advice. Will keep you posted.

Diane

 

[Patri]

And maybe that physician's admission to your friend was a cry for help.

 

[pianodinosaur]

There was a well known physician in Texas who allegedly went into the operating room while high on cocaine and before he got done with his operation, the room was covered in blood and the patient ultimately died. While this is a very dramatic example of what harm an impaired physician can do, a substantial amount of harm can be done by inappropriate presciptions and other forms of poor judgment in while in an office setting.

There was another well known physician in Texas who killed two British reporters while driving under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, physicians are susceptible to the same illness as anyone else. A physician with Alzheimer's disease should not be practicing medicine.

 

[BevL]

There was a well known physician in Texas who allegedly went into the operating room while high on cocaine and before he got done with his operation, the room was covered in blood and the patient ultimately died. While this is a very dramatic example of what harm an impaired physician can do, a substantial amount of harm can be done by inappropriate presciptions and other forms of poor judgment in while in an office setting.

There was another well known physician in Texas who killed two British reporters while driving under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, physicians are susceptible to the same illness as anyone else. A physician with Alzheimer's disease should not be practicing medicine.

This would be my worry in a situation like that. What if your friend says nothing and this doctor makes a mistake that seriously injures or even causes the death of a child, one of her patients? I'm not saying she's responsible, but she would have to live with the fact that her report might have made a difference.

While this doctor may not be practising now, it's clear that this should be taken into consideration should she attempt to practice in the future.

What a horrible situation!!