Opinion ID: 1729600
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: revocation of parker's license to practice dentistry was an appropriate sanction

Text: Parker also contends that the revocation of his license to practice dentistry was an inappropriate sanction. He argues that he was unaware that the use of a rubber signature stamp was prohibited. He claims that he stopped using it immediately upon learning that it was prohibited, that no patients were directly harmed by his conduct, and that he cooperated with the Department's investigator. [8] In Poor v. State, [23] we identified criteria to consider in assessing the severity of a disciplinary sanction imposed upon a health care professional: (1) the nature of the offense, (2) the need for deterring others, (3) the maintenance of the reputation of the [profession] as a whole, (4) the protection of the public, (5) the attitude of the offender generally, and (6) the offender's present or future fitness to continue in the practice of [the profession]. The director's revocation of Parker's dental license was not the first disciplinary action taken against Parker. In January 2001, the director placed Parker's license on probation for 5 years after he admitted that he obtained controlled substances for personal use by fraudulent prescriptions and that he violated the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. While Parker's license was still on probation for this prior misconduct, he agreed to help monitor Braun's compliance with Braun's own probationary terms. Parker knew upon hiring Braun that Braun was prohibited from prescribing controlled substances for the first 2 years of his probation. Despite this knowledge, Parker allowed Braun to issue prescriptions using Parker's DEA number and a rubber stamp bearing Parker's signature. Parker admitted that although he initially provided direct supervision of all prescriptions Braun issued with the signature stamp, he eventually ceased making contemporaneous reviews of every prescription Braun issued. Parker argues that he was unaware that use of the rubber stamp was prohibited. But he misses the point. He knew that Braun was not authorized to prescribe controlled substances and agreed to monitor Braun, yet he allowed Braun to issue prescriptions using the stamp without contemporaneously reviewing the prescriptions. In effect, he enabled and allowed Braun to prescribe controlled substances when Braun was not authorized to do so. Parker's conduct trivialized the terms of Braun's probation. We find Parker's conduct particularly troublesome given that his own license was on probation at the time. Having been previously disciplined for violations of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, Parker, an experienced practitioner, should have understood the magnitude of responsibility the Department demands of health care professionals who prescribe controlled substances. Parker urges us to consider that he cooperated with the investigator and that he and Braun stopped using the signature stamp upon learning that its use was prohibited. The Department's regulations contain a nonexclusive list of factors that the Department may consider to determine an appropriate sanction. [24] We recognize that included as mitigating factors are Iclontriteness and willingness to cooperate [25] and Iclorrective efforts . . . related to the conduct charged, such as changes in practices. . . . [26] But included as an aggravating factor is [p]rior disciplinary action, or misconduct while under discipline . . . [27] Because Parker was on probation for prior misconduct involving controlled substances when the current offense occurred, the presence of the two mitigating factors is less than compelling. We conclude that the revocation of Parker's license was an appropriate sanction.