Windsor doctor gives up licence after over-prescribing opioids

A Windsor doctor has given up his licence to practice medicineafter being censured for over-prescribing opioids.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said65-year-old Robert Stewart Cameron agreed he would never apply for registration as a physician in this province or any other jurisdiction.

The college's discipline committee found Cameron, a general practitioner, committed an act of professional misconduct.

An investigation by the Ministry of Health indicated that in 2015, he prescribed at least eightpatients with the equivalent of at least 650 morphine doses per day,and issued at least one prescription exceeding 20,000 oral morphine equivalents.

An expert reviewed 24 charts and interviewed Cameron as part of the investigation.

The expert found that "Cameron's care of his patients fell below the standard of practice of the profession in 18 of 24 charts," and that "in 16 of 24 charts placed his patients at a risk of harm."

It was also noted, in some cases, that Cameron "failed to react to information from third parties about potential opioid abuse," and "regularly prescribed" narcotics to patients who were also prescribed methadone for addiction without consulting the prescriber.

Cameron practised medicine at a walk-in clinic at 3211 Sandwich Street in Windsor.

He was authorized to practicein 1978.