discipline summaries
asked him to return to the respite facility to explain
his behaviour. Dr. Glumac returned and the two
entered an empty bedroom together. When Patient A
asked Dr. Glumac what his intentions were, he told
her not to worry and that his intentions were not
sexual. Dr. Glumac invited her to lay on the bed with
him and asked if he could hug her. They lay on the
bed together in a spooning position and he kissed her
from behind. She felt his erection pressing against
her. Patient A got off the bed and asked Dr. Glumac
to leave the respite facility.
As a result of these incidents, Patient A had
planned not to return to see Dr. Glumac. But after
enduring a difficult chemotherapy, she reached out
for his support once again. At subsequent appoint-
ments, Dr. Glumac kissed Patient A on the lips and
hugged her frequently, with his hands around her
waist and hips.
Borrowing Money from Patient A
In June 2011, Patient A and Patient B inherited
$40,000. Patient A, who had very little income, was
relieved and excited. She shared this news with Dr.
Glumac.
Two weeks later, Dr. Glumac telephoned Patients
A and B to tell them he had a charitable organization
but that he was short of $20,000. Dr. Glumac asked
whether he could borrow $20,000 from Patients A
and B.
Patients A and B provided Dr. Glumac with
$20,000 within a few days. Dr. Glumac then gave
Patients A and B a Promissory Note acknowledg-
ing receipt and promising to repay $2,500 monthly
beginning in September 2011.
Dr. Glumac failed to repay the funds within the first
three months. He also failed to abide by the rest of the
terms of the Promissory Note. After Patient B repeat-
edly requested funds, Dr. Glumac gave Patient B a
$2,000 cheque in November 2011. Patient A then be-
gan emailing Dr. Glumac asking for their money back.
Patient A indicated that they would have no choice
but to commence legal action or report Dr. Glumac to
the College. Patient A terminated the doctor-patient
relationship on January 30, 2012.
Dr. Glumac made further payments in the spring
of 2012. Dr. Glumac ultimately admitted to Patient
A that he had borrowed the money to support his
56
Dialogue Issue 2, 2017
real estate management and investment company,
and not for charitable purposes. Dr. Glumac and his
wife telephoned Patients A and B and pleaded with
them not to report him to the College. Dr. Glumac
attended at their home and threatened them in order
to prevent them from reporting him to the College.
Dr. Glumac threatened to cease providing medica-
tions to Patient A. He also offered to pay Patient A
and B an additional $20,000 if Patient A agreed not
to report him to the College.
In June 2012, Patients A and B reported Dr.
Glumac to the College. In July 2012, Dr. Glumac
provided Patients A and B with a certified cheque for
$8,000 which finally satisfied the debt owed.
Failure to Maintain the Standard of Practice of
the Profession and Incompetence
The College retained Dr. C to opine on the care and
treatment provided by Dr. Glumac to Patient A.
Dr. C concluded that Dr. Glumac failed to main-
tain the standard of practice of the profession regard-
ing Patient A’s pain management and her psychiatric
care and treatment.
(i) Pain Management
Dr. C opined that Dr. Glumac did not manage Pa-
tient A’s opioid therapy appropriately and displayed
a lack of knowledge and skill. He escalated her dose
of morphine over a short period of time and did not
record whether he reviewed side effects, including
the development of addiction. Evidence suggested
that Patient A might have had “too much” medica-
tion. Dr. Glumac never appeared to have considered
other pain management strategies besides opioids. He
also failed to change antidepressant medication in a
timely fashion once the issue of bupropion’s effect on
her breast cancer medication was noted.
(ii) Psychiatry Practice
Dr. C opined that at various points in her treatment,
Patient A’s depression was so severe that she was at
risk of suicide. There is no evidence that Dr. Glumac
performed an assessment for suicide risk, even where
Dr. Glumac recorded what appeared to be suicidal
gestures. Dr. C also identified multiple boundary
issues including: having a patient call him by his
first name; visiting the patient at her home; borrow-