A Maple Ridge doctor repeatedly disciplined by the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons has been barred from practicing medicine again.
Dr. Patrick Michael Nesbitt was suspended on Halloween and won’t be able to practice medicine until he complies with a long list of conditions imposed on him by the college.
“Dr. Nesbitt’s future professional conduct must be beyond reproach in every aspect,” the college said in a statement released Thursday.
Nesbitt, a family physician, admitted to breaching the terms of a previous agreement he had with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, restricting his practice to male patients only.
The college alleged Nesbitt prescribed medication for 41 female patients, 10 of whom received prescriptions for controlled substances.
In February 2011, the college ordered Nesbitt to pay a fine of $25,000, and suspended him from practicing medicine for a period of two years.
Before Nesbitt is eligible to return to his practice, he must pay $25,000, as well as $10,000 for the college’s legal costs.
He must also: complete a family practice review; continue to participate in medical education on boundaries, ethics and professionalism; establish a mentorship with a doctor approved by the college; provide the college with an educational plan for the next year; and comply with any monitoring of his practice.
Nesbitt has been repeatedly disciplined by the college for a variety of infractions over the past decade.
In 2000, Nesbitt was suspended from practicing medicine for one year and fined $5,000 after he admitted to sexually touching and fondling a female patient.
In 2004, Nesbitt admitted that he was guilty of unprofessional conduct by making inappropriate sexual remarks to a patient during the course of an examination. Nesbitt was suspended from practicing medicine for three months and required to attend counselling by the college.
Nesbitt received a six-month suspension from the college in 2005 and was fined $2,500 for failing to meet required professional standards of care by using inappropriate language in front of a patient.
Nesbitt filed a civil suit with the B.C. Supreme Court in June 2010 in the hopes of stopping the college’s proceedings against him.
While Nesbitt declined a request for an interview. Instead, he directed The News to two websites (doctorpat.org and Notthecollege.com), on which he criticized the college and its disciplinary decisions.
On notthecollege.com, he writes: “The Supreme Court says that Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons perhaps ought to get sued more often. Whenever they suck at their job. Which seems to be quite a lot of the time. If you don’t believe me, keep your eyes on this web site.”