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News Release — March 4, 2004
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
March 4, 2004
Medical Board Accusation Leads to
Surrender of San Diego Physician's License
SACRAMENTO—Facing a formal Accusation of wrongdoing by the Medical Board of California, San Diego physician Joan Marianne Collins, M.D., has agreed to surrender her license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of her medical license was ordered on February 25, 2004 and becomes effective March 3, 2004.
The Medical Board accused Collins of violating Business and Professions Code section 2239 (unlawful use or prescribing); Business and Professions Code section 820 (mental or physical illness); and Health and Safety Code section 11170 (self-use of a controlled substance).
In December 2000, Collins entered the Board's Diversion Program; however, in February 2001 she quit the program on her own accord. Collins admitted to taking sample boxes of a controlled substance, Vicoprofen, a form of Vicodin, from her office for self-use and without consulting her family physician. She also admitted to using marijuana a few times from April to November of 2000. Collins also prescribed medications for herself from samples she received at her office. She prescribed herself Paxil for depression, and Ambien and Sonata for sleep aid. During the past five years, Collins also admitted taking Wellbutrin and Effexor to augment the Paxil.
Collins has lost all rights and privileges as a physician and surgeon and was ordered to deliver to the Board her license, and wall and pocket certificates, on or before March 3, 2004. If Collins ever files an application for licensure or a petition for reinstatement in the State of California as a physician, she will be required to comply with all laws, regulations and procedures for reinstatement of a revoked license in effect at the time the petition is filed, and all of the charges and allegations contained in her Accusation shall be deemed to be true, correct, and admitted by Collins when the Board determines whether to grant or deny the petition. In addition, her petition will not be granted until the Board determines that it has received competent evidence of the absence of, or her control of the conditions, mental and physical, that formerly impaired her ability to practice safely.
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The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.
If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the Board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.medbd.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.
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