The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing has suspended a physician's license to prescribe controlled substances, claiming his telemedicine practices posed an immediate and significant danger to the public, according to an emergency court order.
Paul Gahlinger, MD, allegedly "improperly prescribe[ed] controlled substances" and "does not properly evaluate or take a medical record of the patients that seek controlled substances," according to the court order.
Two of Dr. Gahlinger's patients were pregnant women to whom he prescribed Suboxone, a drug used to treat opiate addiction. Both their babies were monitored for withdrawal symptoms after they were born due to the mother's use of the drug, according to the court order.
Additionally, the court order alleges the mothers dealt almost exclusively with Kelly Reyes, Dr. Gahlinger's assistant, who is not licensed for any professional capacity. At least one of the mothers almost went to Ms. Reyes' home to receive her prescription, and almost never saw Dr. Gahlinger when she went to receive her refills, according to the court order.
The court order claims Dr. Gahlinger does not follow the Model Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain or the Model Policy on Data 2000 and Treatment of Opioid Addiction in the Medical Office, which is required by Utah law.
"[Dr. Gahlinger] has issued, or aided and abetted in the issuance of an order for a drug without first obtaining information in the usual course of professional practice, that is sufficient to establish a diagnosis, to identify conditions and to identify contraindications to the proposed treatment" as required by Utah law, reads the court order.
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