discipline summaries
(b) until Dr. Achiume has provided to the College proof of his compliance with the Specified Continuing Education and Remediation
Program in medical record-keeping directed by
the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee in its January 13, 2010 decision.
3. Dr. Achiume pay costs to the College in the
amount of $4,460, pursuant to a payment plan,
which requires Dr. Achiume to pay $371.67 per
month, commencing February 1, 2015, until the
full amount is paid in full.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Dr. Achiume waived his
right to an appeal and the Committee administered the
public reprimand.
Key Reprimand Points
• Th
e Committee emphasized that self-governance of
the profession is completely dependent on a member’s respect for the process.
• In the opinion of the Committee, Dr. Achiume
flouted the authority of the College, over a protracted period of time, which cannot be tolerated.
DR. JENNIFER MARGARET
ARMSTRONG
Practice Location: Nepean
Area of Practice: General Practice (Environmental
Medicine)
Hearing Information: Agreed Statement of Facts,
Admission, Joint Submission on Penalty
On December 15, 2014, the Discipline Committee
found that Dr. Armstrong committed an act of professional misconducts in that she failed to maintain the
standard of practice of the profession with respect to
one patient. Dr. Armstrong admitted to the allegation.
Dr. Armstrong is a general practitioner with a
special interest and additional training in environmental medicine. Patient A was 19 at the time Dr.
Armstrong treated her.
Patient A first attended on Dr. Armstrong in December 2010. Dr. Armstrong noted that Patient A
did not have a family doctor. In addition to a recent
Form 1 stay at the hospital of which Dr. Armstrong
was aware, Patient A’s mother also reported Patient
A’s previous suicide attempts and hospitalizations. Patient A’s mother also provided a summary of Patient
A’s medical history, including a history of cognitive
decline and seizures and reported that Patient A had
been treated by a physician practising environmental
medicine in the past and had improved considerably.
Patient A attended on Dr. Armstrong on three occasions. On each occasion, in assessing Patient A, Dr.
Armstrong failed to perform any mental health assessments. Dr. Armstrong recommended a regime of
intravenous vitamins that were administered between
December 2010 and April 2011. Dr. Armstrong also
treated Patient A with minerals and amino acids and
lowered Patient A’s thyroid medication in response to
tests. Dr. Armstrong did not see Patient A again after
April 2011.
In May 2011, Dr. Armstrong subsequently learned
that Patient A committed suicide. The College
received a report about Patient A’s death from the
Office of the Chief Coroner in September 2012, and
commenced an investigation into Dr. Armstrong’s
care of Patient A.
Dr. Armstrong took no steps to investigate or treat
Patient A’s mental health issues. The patient was not
being treated for her psychiatric symptoms by another physician, according to the chart. Nor did she
take any steps to assist Patient A in finding a primary
care physician or other specialist. Dr. Armstrong did
not refer Patient A to a psychiatrist, psychologist or
other mental health professional. Patient A did not
find a family physician.
The independent assessor retained by the College
concluded that Dr. Armstrong’s care and treatment of
Patient A failed to maintain the standard of practice
of the profession and opined as follows:
• There were no conventional treatments offered or
documented for her psychiatric symptoms.
• Dr. Armstrong did not refer this patient to another
physician for the psychiatric symptoms or her
seizures.
F [X