On May 29, a Maryland physician was suspended from practice for actions that put the safety of a woman under his care at risk.
The Mary Board of Physicians publicized information relating to the suspension, and cited the care of a woman who had come to the physician's clinic seeking an abortion. Reportedly, without supervision, the doctor allowed a staffer without proper training or licensing to conduct an ultrasound and begin the administration of Cytotec.
Cytotec is a potentially dangerous drug that is intended to be used to fight ulcers, but is sometimes used off-label in abortions as a method of inducing uterine contractions.
After the woman had been given Cytotec, the physician finally saw her, but did not proceed with the abortion because she was carrying twins at an advanced gestational age, both of which are complicating factors. The woman was essentially cut loose after being given a problematic drug.
This physician was the third doctor connected to the chain of Maryland clinics known as Associates in OB/GYN Care to be suspended in May. It was not his first run-in with a medical board; this doctor also faced prior disciplinary action while practicing medicine in Texas.
It is not uncommon for physicians with a long record of malpractice to try their luck in different states, hoping their history will not follow them. These physicians can be a serious threat to patients; when they cause harm, sometimes a medical malpractice lawsuit is the only way to begin setting things right.