Maureen Morton

The Discipline Committee determined the penalty for a member found to have committed professional misconduct by advising a patient to stop thyroid medication and falsely claiming acupuncture could regrow the thyroid gland, leading to the patient's hospitalization.

The College sought revocation, arguing the member was ungovernable due to his failure to participate in the hearing and his relocation to Korea.

The Committee found the member was not ungovernable, noting his prior expressions of remorse and lack of discipline history.

The Committee ordered a 12-month suspension, a reprimand, remedial terms including the PROBE program, and costs of $29,818.45.

The College sought to withdraw the allegations in the Notice of Hearing against the respondent.

The respondent had previously executed an undertaking to surrender his certificate of registration and never reapply.

The Discipline Committee permitted the withdrawal, finding that a full hearing was not in the public interest given the respondent's undertaking and the disposal of a prior Notice of Hearing.

The member, a registered acupuncturist and massage therapist, admitted to professional misconduct for issuing pre-signed blank receipts and failing to maintain adequate patient records over a ten-year period.

The Discipline Committee accepted an agreed statement of facts and a joint submission on penalty.

The member was reprimanded, suspended for four months, required to complete ethics and record-keeping courses, subjected to a practice audit, and ordered to pay $5,000 in costs.

The College alleged that the respondent acupuncturist engaged in professional misconduct by advising a patient without a thyroid to stop taking his thyroid medication, claiming that acupuncture would regrow the gland.

The patient suffered severe hypothyroidism and was hospitalized.

The Discipline Committee proceeded in the respondent's absence and found that he provided unnecessary and dangerous treatment outside his scope of practice, failed to refer the patient to a medical doctor, and falsified patient records to conceal his actions.

The Committee concluded that the respondent engaged in professional misconduct.