DISCIPLINE SUMMARIES
the standard of care provided by Dr. Kamermans. Upon review of 25 of Dr. Kamerman’ s patient charts, the medical expert reported that 11 out of 25 patient charts were deficient with respect to narcotic prescribing and the medical records in all the files were disorganized. Dr. Kamermans admitted to not reviewing his patients ' old files, which resulted in him overlooking some crucial pieces of information. The medical expert noted that the decisions about who to prescribe to and what to prescribe often seemed to be in the hands of the patients. Also, that by failing to maintain tight prescribing boundaries in patients with current or prior addictions, both the patients and their communities were placed at risk. During the medical expert’ s interview with Dr. Kamermans, he commented,“ we are not the police.” The medical expert emphasized in her report that the application of universal precautions in opiate prescribing is crucial, given that it is not possible to always know what patients may be doing with their medications. And despite Dr. Kamerman’ s best intentions, safety was compromised by his benzodiazepine, hypnotic, and opioid prescribing practices. In an addendum to her report, the medical expert reiterated her concerns with respect to Dr. Kamerman’ s prescribing of controlled substances and confirmed her opinion that his medical records were“ inadequate.”
Failure to Notify Other Jurisdictions of Action Taken by Discipline Committee On February 27, 2013, the CPSO’ s Discipline Committee found that Dr. Kamermans committed an act of professional misconduct, in that he failed to maintain the standard of practice of the profession. Among other things, the Committee ordered and directed that Dr. Kamermans be reprimanded and imposed terms, conditions and limitations on his certificate of registration. In March 2014, the Michigan Medical Board found that Dr. Kamermans violated the Public Health Code by failing to notify it, within 30 days, of the action taken by the CPSO’ s Discipline Committee on February 27, 2013. As a result, the Michigan Medical Board imposed terms, conditions and limitations on Dr. Kamermans’ licence in Michigan, and ordered that he pay a fine.
In January 2015, the New Mexico Medical Board made an order reprimanding Dr. Kamermans for failing to make a timely report of the action taken by the Discipline Committee of this College on February 27, 2013 and failure to report the action taken by the Michigan Medical Board in April 2014, and imposed conditions on his licence in New Mexico.
ORDER The Discipline Committee directed that Dr. Kamermans’ certificate of registration be revoked; that he receive a reprimand and pay $ 5,500 in costs to the College. 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.
APPEAL On October 16, 2017, Dr. Kamermans appealed the finding on penalty to the Superior Court of Justice( Divisional Court).
DR. ALLYSON ENID KOFFMAN
PRACTICE LOCATION: Toronto AREA OF PRACTICE: Family Medicine
HEARING INFORMATION: Admission, Agreed Statement of Facts; Joint Submission on Penalty
On August 15, 2017, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Koffman committed an act of professional misconduct in that she 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. Dr. Koffman is a family physician who received her certificate of registration authorizing independent practice in June of 2000 and has been providing episodic walk-in care and primary care at the Earl Bales Walk-in Clinic since 2011. Between January 2004 and December 2010, Dr. Koffman provided episodic walk-in care and primary care at the Bathurst Walkin Clinic and Family Practice.
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DIALOGUE ISSUE 3, 2018