Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 03 Oct 2013
Summary:
On October 3, 2013, the Discipline Committee found that Dr. Kathleen Joyce Pratt committed an act of professional misconduct, in that she engaged in conduct or an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Dr. Pratt admitted the allegation.
Dr. Pratt submitted swabs from herself for testing for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ("MRSA") and disguised them under the name and identity of an employee without the knowledge and/or consent of that individual. After learning she was MRSA positive, she treated herself for the MRSA and returned to her regular duties as a surgeon at the hospital without seeking medical care from any other physician and without confirming she was no longer colonized with MRSA. She failed to take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the health record of the staff member under whose name she had submitted for testing.
In addition to antibiotics for MRSA, Dr. Pratt repeatedly prescribed other medication for herself between 2006 and 2012.
Dr. Pratt has taken a boundaries and recordkeeping course, as well as attended educational sessions relevant to surgical site infections and ethics.
The Committee ordered and directed that:
( the Registrar suspend Dr. Pratt's certificate of registration for a period of three (3) months commencing 12:01 a.m. October 4, 2013.
( Dr. Pratt appear before the panel to be reprimanded.
( Dr. Pratt pay to the College costs in the amount of $4,460 within 60 days of the Order.