Doctor Self-Prescribed Using Another Doctor’s DEA Number

A Vineland gastroenterologist accused of providing “grossly” insufficient medical treatment to patients and prescribing drugs to himself has reached a settlement with the board that licenses New Jersey doctors.

Dr. Gary Matusow must undergo monitoring of his work for at least a year as part of a consent order he reached May 14 with the State Board of Medical Examiners that allows him to resume practicing medicine.

The agreement included a 17-month retroactive suspension of Matusow’s medical license and a 19-month probationary period.

Matusow “denies all allegations of wrongdoing,” according to the consent order.

The Board of Medical Examiners has scrutinized Matusow since April 2013, after Inspira Health Network reported concerns about his work.

An expert working for the board determined he deviated from accepted standards of care while performing procedures on three patients, all of whom suffered complications. It reached a similar conclusion regarding another patient’s care in 2016.

In October 2016, Matusow voluntarily stopped practicing medicine while the board further investigated the allegations.

But the board said the doctor acknowledged that he “renewed several of his patients’ prescriptions” during the period when he said he would refrain from practicing medicine.

“He further admitted calling in prescriptions for controlled substances for himself using his partner’s name,” according to the consent order.

Earlier this year, the doctor’s legal counsel told the board that Matusow has taken several steps to get his career back on track.

He completed a five-day inpatient assessment at a Pennsylvania substance abuse treatment center “to address his inappropriate self-prescribing,” according to the consent order. He also completed two “professional boundaries classes,” underwent psychotherapy and enrolled in the Professional Assistance Program.

His legal counsel also submitted a report to the board from an expert who concluded Matusow’s treatment of the four patients “met the standard of care.”

Matusow did not make himself available for an interview with The Daily Journal on Tuesday, but he did answer some questions via email.

He said it’s important to understand the context behind the report Inspira filed with the state regarding his actions. He and Inspira had a “mutually antagonistic relationship” and the health system wanted to harm the doctor because he was a “popular” competitor and one of the “biggest thorns in their side,” Matusow said.

The doctor said none of the cases reported to the state board involved malpractice or patient deaths, and noted his expert “refuted” the allegations of improper medical care.

Matusow did not admit any wrongdoing or liability when signing the consent order.

Under the agreement reached last week, his license to practice medicine and surgery was suspended for three years. That included 17 months of “active suspension,” which began retroactively when he voluntarily stopped practicing medicine in October 2016, according to the order. The rest of the suspension is a probationary period during which Matusow can practice medicine if he complies with certain restrictions.

That includes completing a refresher course in how to properly perform endoscopies, doing some procedures under the review of a proctor, submitting 15 randomly selected patients’ cases for monthly review by a monitor for at least one year, and abstaining from alcohol or other psychoactive substances for at least a year. Matusow also was ordered to pay $14,694 in costs to the Board of Medical Examiners.

Matusow did not answer questions from The Daily Journal about if or when he would resume practicing medicine, and where he might work.

The Facebook page “Patients And Friends Support Dr. Gary Matusow” said in an online post Tuesday that it did not have an update concerning when the doctor might return to practicing medicine.