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News Release — June 16, 2005
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
June 16, 2005
Medical Board of California Accusation
Leads to Surrender of La Habra Physician's License
SACRAMENTO—Facing an Accusation of unprofessional conduct by the Medical Board of California, La Habra physician John L. Johnson, M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his license was ordered on June 10, 2005 and became effective on June 15, 2005.
The Medical Board accused Johnson of violating multiple sections of the Business and Professions Code, including section 2234(b)(c)(d) (gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, and incompetence), section 2242 (prescribing without a good faith exam), section 725 (excessive prescribing), and section 2266 (failing to maintain adequate and accurate records) in his care and treatment of one patient.
The Accusation alleged that Johnson was grossly negligent for prescribing narcotics and sedatives without medical indication and that from January 2001 to April 2002, Johnson prescribed Prilosec, Vicodin, Soma, Tagamet, Premarin, Ativan, Valium, Bacitracin, Zantac, Midrin, Norco and Phentermine to the patient. Johnson's examinations of the patient consisted of nothing more, with minor exceptions, than checks of blood pressure, pulse, height and, on one occasion, temperature. In addition, Johnson's simultaneous prescribing of Valium, Soma and Ativan subjected the patient to a significant risk of over sedation and addiction.
Although Johnson was aware that the patient was also being treated by another physician, he did not know the name of the physician and never discussed the patient with the other physician who, from January 2001 through at least February 2002, was prescribing Zyprexa, Restoril, Paxil and Cogentin, and therefore failed to warn the patient of the possible interactions of the drugs being prescribed by both doctors.
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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.caldocinfo.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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