DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
ous investigation of him, he warned Patient A in an email chat not to tell the College about any activities in the“ back room.” Dr. Muirhead instructed Patient A to explain his statement in emails to her of“ I love you,” as“ I love you like he loved his dogs.” Patient A did as Dr. Muirhead requested, and did not initially admit to a sexual relationship with him despite being asked by the College investigator. Dr. Muirhead told Patient A that so many people, including her, were dependent on him. He convinced her that action by the College against him would ruin her life and her marriage. Patient A was also concerned about Dr. Muirhead’ s“ explosive” reaction if she were to tell the College the truth. Patient A estimated that Dr. Muirhead gave her a total of $ 23,000 over time.
REASONS FOR PENALTY The penalties of revocation and reprimand are mandatory penalties under the Code for Dr. Muirhead’ s sexual abuse of his patient. The guiding principles in determining an appropriate penalty are that the penalty should protect the public; express the disapproval of the profession toward the member’ s conduct; maintain public confidence in the profession and its ability to regulate itself in the public interest; act as a general and specific deterrent and, in an appropriate case, serve a rehabilitative function. An aggravating factor was a previous College discipline decision in March 2014 suspending Dr. Muirhead for disgraceful, dishonorable or unprofessional conduct and failure to maintain the standard of practice of the profession for numerous boundary violations with female patients. The Committee considered the conduct of Dr. Muirhead to be abhorrent and an extreme example of the abuse of the position of trust by a physician in a physician-patient relationship.
ORDER In summary, the Committee directed that the Registrar revoke Dr. Muirhead ' s certificate of registration effective immediately; a public reprimand; reimbursement to the College for funding provided to patients under the program required under section 85.7 of the Code, by posting an irrevocable letter of credit or other security acceptable to the College, in the amount of $ 16,060; and that he pay costs to the College in the amount of $ 10,000. For complete details of the Order, please see the full decision at www. cpso. on. ca. Select Find a Doctor and enter the doctor’ s name.
DR. IRA MICHAEL PRICE
PRACTICE LOCATION: Hamilton AREA OF PRACTICE: Emergency Medicine
HEARING INFORMATION: Statement of Facts, Plea of No Contest
On August 22, 2016, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Price committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he has engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional. The Committee found that Dr. Price altered a medical record in a misleading fashion, failing to date and initial the changes, and mislead a College investigator regarding his patient chart and charting practices during a College investigation. Dr. Price did not contest the allegations. Dr. Price is the medical director of Synergy Health Services Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario, where he provides care to patients being treated with medical cannabis. Patient A sought treatment from Dr. Price for chronic pain with medical cannabis between December 2012 and April 2014. Following an email exchange with Dr. Price in April 2014, in which Patient A requested that his next appointment be rescheduled, Patient A was terminated from Dr. Price’ s practice. On April 24, 2014, the College received a complaint from Patient A that Dr. Price acted unprofessionally while Patient A was his patient, including by being unwilling to accommodate his request to reschedule his appointment and by terminating Patient A from his practice.
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DIALOGUE ISSUE 4, 2017