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News Release — March 7, 2006
MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
March 7, 2006
Medical Board of California Accusation
Leads to Surrender of Pasadena Physician's License
SACRAMENTO—Facing an Accusation by the Medical Board of California alleging unprofessional conduct, Pasadena physician Robert R. Torrey, Sr., M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his license was ordered on February 27, 2006 and became effective on March 6, 2006. Medical Board Executive Director Dave Thornton stated, "The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers. We work diligently to achieve our mission by vigorously enforcing the Medical Practice Act."
The Medical Board accused Torrey of unprofessional conduct for violating Business and Professions Code sections 2234(b)(c)(d) (gross negligence, repeated neglected acts and incompetence), 725 (excessive prescribing) and 2266 (failure to maintain adequate medical records) in his care and treatment of two patients.
The Accusation alleged that between January 2001 and January 2002 Torrey: administered repeated doses of the steroid Kenalog in the face of evidence that the patient had developed or was developing Cushing's syndrome secondary to the Kenalog injections; repeatedly administered and/or prescribed analgesic medications, including Demerol, OxyContin and morphine sulphate, for pain without first having attempted to address the pain with non-narcotic medications or in the face of the patient's history of drug abuse; failed to perform and/or document a comprehensive orthopedic or neurological history and examination of the patient for her recurrent headaches, neck pain and low back pain; failed to refer the patient for diagnostic studies, physical therapy or consultations for her recurrent headaches, neck pain and low back pain; incorrectly diagnosed the patient as suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome; and failed to properly evaluate or refer for consultation the patient's hypertension.
Regarding the second patient, the board accused Torrey of being grossly negligent in that between March 1999 and May 2003, he: failed to perform a comprehensive history and physical and diagnostic work up, including tests to exclude vascular disease, for patient's complaints of fatigue, headaches, joint pain and depression; failed to document an appropriate history and physical exam to support a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome; failed to refer the patient for consultations, including neurology, rheumatology and psychiatric consults, for patient's complaints of fatigue, headaches, joint pain and depression; failed to refer patient for a gynecological consultation; and failed to perform a PAP smear prior to prescribing hormonal therapy.
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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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