Kamsack doctor charged with improperly prescribing opioids

A doctor in Kamsack, Sask.,who lost his ability to prescribe methadoneis now charged with improperly prescribingopioidsandbenzodiazepines to patients, some of whom other physicians were concerned may have been selling or giving the drugs to other people.

Dr. Murray Daviesis facing two charges of unprofessional conduct under The Medical Profession Act. The province's regulatory bodies for doctors, Saskatchewan's College of Physicians and Surgeons, brought forward the charges last week.

A hearing date has not been set.

According to the registrar, Davies is a general practice doctor at the Assiniboine Valley MedicalCentre in Kamsack,atown of roughly 1,800 near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.

CBC News has reached out to Davies for comment.

Bryan Salte, associate registrar and legal counsel for the regulatory body, said charges of improperconduct stemmed from his pattern of prescribing, tracked by the college'sPrescription Review Program.

Patients selling or giving away drugs

The program monitors how "higher risk" drugs, such asopioidsandbenzodiazepines,are being prescribed.

According to the college, Davies was informed of its concerns around his prescribing, including that some of hispatients were already receiving drugs from other physicians, while other patients were not actually taking the drugs.

"Dr. Davies, according to the charge, was advised by other physicians that patients to whom he was prescribing drugs were not taking those drugs, that they were otherwise being diverted, which could include sales to other people, which could include sharing their drugs with others," Salte said.

"The concern that was expressed, according to the charge, is that Dr. Davies, upon being advised that his patients were not using the drugs fully the way that he had prescribed them, didn't change his prescribing pattern."

Allegations about Davies' prescribing behaviour is detailed in length by the college.

Lack of proper assessments, improper dosages

The college says it has evidence Davies prescribedmedications to patients without performinga properassessment, including for substance use disorder and, in some cases, prescribed medications to patients on methadone with a history of substanceuse disorder.

The regulatory body also alleges Davies continued prescribing these higher risk drugs to patients whose urine samples showed they were not ingestingthem. The college says in other cases, the samples showed the patients had other drugs in their system and Davies prescribed more, increasing the risk of harm.

As well, the college says Davies prescribed quantitiesof drugs and in combinationsthat failed to meet medical standards and did not maintainproper records for patients.

Saltewould not provide specificdetails aboutthe investigation or the number of patients who receivedprescriptions.

A preliminary investigation was conducted by a special committee, which recommended the charges, he said.

Health Minister responds

Saskatchewan's Health Minister called the case a concern.

"Opioids are a huge issue across the country right now so when you hear those sorts of things, it's troubling," Jim Reiter said Thursday.

He said they have faith in the disciplinaryprocess in place for doctors under the college's authority.

Methadone-prescribingability revoked

This is the first time the college has brought forward charges against Davies.

However,Saltesaid it previously recommended to Health Canada that Davies should not be allowed to prescribe methadone, which resulted in that ability being revoked in 2014.

Health Canada authorizes a physician to prescribe methadone, which is a painkiller used to treat opioid dependence.

Without providing details, Saltesaid the college recommended Davies not be given that ability based on concerns abouthis prescribing of methadone.

Now, the college alleges Davies has been prescribing Kadian, an opioidused to treat pain.

"Kadian is not a treatment for addiction and maintaining the patient on their relatively high dosages of opoids is not consistent with the medical standards of the profession," said Salte.