Physicians, osteopathic doctors, pharmacists, veterinarians, and chiropractors spend years in school and thousands of hours training to become licensed professionals. They heal us when sick, care for our most beloved furry friends, and calmly dispense advice and medications. At our most vulnerable, all these doctors help us, our family, and our pets through stress and sometimes grief. Because of our trust in doctors, these professionals are highly regulated, with state boards ensuring they meet the highest educational, ethical, and professional standards.
But if you're a doctor, pharmacist, chiropractor, osteopath, or veterinarian, and someone alleges that you've violated your ethical and professional standards, the subsequent investigation or disciplinary action can ruin your career and result in losing your license. This isn't something you should try to handle alone. You need attorney Joseph D. Lento and the skilled Professional Licensing Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm. They can help nationwide.
Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathy
Doctors often hold our lives in their hands, treating us at our most vulnerable. We entrust the people we love into their care, knowing doctors will work hard to heal or make them comfortable. So, as a physician, after years, sometimes decades of dedication, education, training, and practice, it can be anguishing to deal with a professional complaint against you. Serious allegations can even lead to the loss of your license and career. Some of the most common allegations of wrongdoing against medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy include:
- Abusing or neglecting a patient, which can include sexual abuse, physical abuse, gross neglect, and verbal abuse,
- Inappropriately prescribing medication, including over-prescribing narcotics, prescribing medication for non-patients, and prescribing outside of your license limitations,
- Fraud, including Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance fraud, upcoding, billing for procedures you didn't perform, over-billing, and taking kickbacks for patient referrals,
- Failing to keep adequate records, including falsifying records,
- Criminal convictions or arrests, including felonies and some misdemeanors,
- Failing to report a criminal arrest or conviction, and
- Drug and alcohol abuse.
Allegations of malpractice can also be serious, but they are typically reviewed by your state's medical malpractice review board before heading to civil court. However, if the evidence shows that you intentionally harmed or abused a patient, it could also result in a complaint to the state medical board.
Veterinarians
Veterinarians undergo years of training and education to care for our animal friends, horses, and livestock. In many cases, your love of animals may have led you to the profession. So, when someone alleges unprofessional or unethical behavior against you, it can be a serious blow. Some of the most common complaints that can lead to a board investigation against veterinarians include:
- Substance or alcohol abuse,
- A criminal arrest or conviction, particularly those for drug or alcohol violations,
- Improper record-keeping or overbilling, and
- Abuse or neglect of your animal patients, including physical abuse, mistreatment, or failure to properly care for an animal, particularly if it leads to an animal's death or serious illness or injury.
Chiropractors
After years of study and training, your license to practice as a chiropractor is one of your most valuable assets. If someone alleges unprofessional or unethical behavior against you, it can endanger your license and career. Some of the most common complaints that can result in a board investigation or disciplinary action against a chiropractor include:
- Fraud, including overbilling or fraudulent billing to insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid,
- Acting outside the scope of your chiropractic license,
- Allowing an employee to perform treatments when they aren't licensed to do so,
- Substance abuse or alcohol addiction,
- Sexual misconduct or having an improper relationship with a patient,
- Gross negligence or abuse of a patient, including physical, sexual, or verbal abuse, and
- Criminal convictions or arrests.
Pharmacists
As a pharmacist, the lives of your patients often depend on your professionalism and accuracy. Filling the wrong prescription or telling a patient to take the wrong dose can have dangerous and fatal consequences. As a result, your state licensing board holds you to strict ethical and professional standards. Some of the most common allegations against you that can lead to a board investigation include:
- Incompetence or inaccuracy in filling prescriptions, particularly if it leads to a fatal mistake,
- Fraud, including overbilling, insurance fraud, or underfilling prescriptions,
- Substance or alcohol abuse,
- Arrests or convictions, particularly for those involving alcohol or drug offenses, and
- Faulty record keeping, including keeping an accurate inventory of controlled substances.
Potential Penalties From Board Discipline
The consequences can be serious if you're facing an investigation from your state licensing board and possible disciplinary action. The most serious possible punishment is the loss of your license to practice and the end of your career. Some less serious consequences can include:
- A license suspension, subject to review by your board before reinstatement,
- Probation and supervision of your practice for a set period,
- Limiting your license and how you can practice, such as removing your ability to prescribe certain medications or limiting your practice to a specific location,
- Ordering you to complete continuing education or professionalism courses,
- Imposing conditions on your license such as drug or alcohol treatment, close supervision, or counseling,
- Fines,
- Private reprimands, and
- Public reprimands.
Even if you emerge with your license intact, the board disciplinary process can harm your reputation and your career.
Why Do I Need the Lento Law Firm?
The potential consequences of board disciplinary actions can harm your personal and professional reputation and sometimes end your career. The investigation, inquiry, and hearing process can be challenging for someone not well-versed in licensing defense to handle, and you shouldn't try to do this on your own. You need an attorney experienced in handling these matters to protect your rights during the process. Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the skilled Professional Licensing Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm has been helping professionals like you across the country for years. Find out how they can help you too. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or contact them online to schedule your consultation.
