Medical practitioner admits professional misconduct

03 Nov 2016

A medical practitioner has admitted to engaging in professional misconduct after prescribing medications while suspended from practice and while his registration had conditions imposed that prevented him from practising.

The Medical Board of Australia (the Board) referred Dr Raphael Gregory Blum to the State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia (the tribunal) after he failed to comply with conditions on his registration and after he practised while his registration was suspended.

In December 2013, the Board took immediate action and imposed a condition on Dr Blum’s registration that he not return to practice until he undergo a health assessment and the Board agreed he was fit to return to practice.

Dr Blum self-prescribed medications twice after the condition that he not practise was imposed. The Board decided to suspend his registration.

While suspended, Dr Blum self-prescribed medication on five occasions.

Dr Blum underwent a health assessment in March 2014. After considering the report, the Board revoked the suspension of Dr Blum’s registration and imposed conditions requiring him, among other things, to not to return to practice until the Board agreed that he was fit to do so.

While Dr Blum’s registration was subject to this condition, he prescribed medication to his father three times. He also self-prescribed three times.

In September 2014, after receiving information about Dr Blum’s prescribing while suspended and while subject to a condition that he not practise, the Board took further immediate action and suspended his medical registration again. Dr Blum self-prescribed in late September while suspended.

Following mediation in September 2016, the tribunal accepted joint proposed orders from the Board and Dr Blum and:

• made a finding of professional misconduct, and
• ordered Dr Blum to pay the Board’s costs of $1,700.

The tribunal’s full decision will be published on its website.