Iowa psychiatrist fined for pre-signing prescriptions for staff to fill out later

July 27, 2017

J. Patrick Bertroche, a psychiatrist in Iowa, agreed to pay a $5,000 fine after being accused by the Iowa Board of Medicine of pre-signing blank prescription orders for his staff to fill out later.

He agreed to the fine to settle the administrative charge from the Board.

Bertroche told state investigators the pre-signed prescriptions were kept in a locked office that only he and his staff could access. But the physician-licensing board noted that doctors are forbidden from pre-signing blank prescriptions for their staff members to fill out later.

SOURCE: Tony Leys, "Psychiatrist fined $5,000 for pre-signing prescriptions for his staff to fill out later," The Des Moines Register, 27 Jul 2017, http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2017/07/27/psychiatrist-fined-5-000-pre-signing-prescriptions-his-staff-fill-out-later/516271001/.