A Review of the Public Disciplinary Actions of the NCMB was undertaken:

Boundary Issues;

Least Discipline; Licensee self-prescribing and prescribing to two family members without maintaining adequate records and receives a public letter of concern

Most Discipline; Licensee wrote Ambien/sleeping pill for wife & took it himself—was out of work for 3 years.  Honorable mention; Physician falls in love with a former patient who’s wife had died, they marry, she’s forced to surrender her license. Seven years later she’s given a provisional license stating she can no longer practice Psychiatry.

 

Combined Boundary and Substance-Abuse Issues;

Least Discipline; A practitioner had an affair with patient and patient’s spouse, moved in with them and prescribed them controlled substances until the NCMB forced her to vacate their home.  She received a consent order/reprimand/120 day suspension immediately stayed.  Another prescribing controlled substances to family members who diverted some of them to him received a Public Letter of Concern

Most Discipline; Indefinite suspension in 2011, has never returned to work after prescribing drugs to friends and family, then taking some of the drugs for his own use

 

Legal Issues;

Least Discipline; Practicing 11 years without a license results in a reprimand

Most Discipline; Practitioner with no complaints in 40 years is rude to a family at Sam’s Club, refuses to answer NCMB investigator as it didn’t involve his practice.  Indefinitely suspended then retired

 

Negligence Issues;

Least Discipline; Licensee who appears incompetent is warned in 2008, no improvement, by 2012 receives a non-disciplinary consent order and is ordered to have a professional assessment of skills

Most Discipline; Licensee employed by a clinic supervising mid-levels who are following company protocols in another location, is unaware that a midlevel made some errors and has his license suspended for a year, stayed all but 30 days.

 

Substance-Abuse Issues;

Least Discipline; “Bill K” self-referred to NCPHP with active alcohol problems, NCMB unaware of him since he self-referred, in 4 months he’s back at work seeing patients.  Anybody who goes through the NCMB gets 1-2 years minimum out of practice; NCPHP advice is ignored by NCMB attorneys (who thus practice medicine without a license)!

Most Discipline; Numerous licensees who have self-referred for alcoholism, gotten sober, declared on renewal of license that they are sober only to have the Board intervene and take them out of practice completely for 2-4 years DESPITE THEIR CONTINUED & DOCUMENTED SOBRIETY!

 

*These reviews included the largest number of cases, recording episodes of arbitrary disciplinary actions ranging from very lenient to very harsh actions.  For the sake of convenience and understanding, actions were broken down into the various categories as noted above.

It should also be noted, that while the NCMB is quite harsh in its dealings with licensees; they have no responsibility when theymake mistakes!  There is obviously a very arbitrary range of disciplinary actions meted out for similar transgressions.  Also of great importance, numerous licensees who have had allegations of substance abuse and other issues are not referred to the NCPHP, which is exactly what they are responsible for doing!  The NCMB is all-powerful and irresponsible in many ways!