GP accused of professional misconduct says medical council engaging in 'witch hunt'
Inquiry heard the GP had left Ireland because he felt he had been treated 'like a scoundrel' for prescribing medicine to an elderly lady whose hypertension was 'out of control'. Picture: RollingNews.ie
A doctor accused of professional misconduct and poor professional treatment over his care of two elderly female patients in Dublin has accused the Irish Medical Council of engaging in a “witch-hunt” against him.
Dr Juan Jesus Paz Pena, who worked for the Doctors on Duty out of hours service in Dublin, is facing 13 allegations of poor professional performance for inappropriately prescribing high doses of medicine to two patients in September 2017 to treat hypertension, one of whom had no history of high blood pressure.
The GP, who did not attend the inquiry being held by the IMC’s Fitness to Practise Committee, is also accused of two counts of professional misconduct over his failure to have adequate medical insurance cover while working in Ireland on dates between September 2017 and February 2018.
Dr Paz Pena, who is now based in his native Spain, claimed the outcome of the inquiry was already “predetermined” — a suggestion rejected by the IMC.
The inquiry heard the GP had left Ireland because he felt he had been treated “like a scoundrel” for prescribing medicine to an elderly lady whose hypertension was “out of control”.Â
He pointed out no patient had been harmed and he claimed the same medicine, perindopril, had been prescribed thousands of times by doctors in Ireland and elsewhere.
Dr Paz Pena maintained he had been “accurate and correct” in prescribing the medicine for the patient.
“This process is just a farce or witch-hunt, whichever you prefer,” he said in correspondence.
The inquiry heard the case arose following a complaint made by David Jordan of Jordan’s Pharmacy on Sundrive Road, Kimmage, Dublin, who was concerned about perindopril being prescribed by Dr Paz Pena to an elderly patient who had no history of hypertension.
Mr Jordan said he was concerned the GP did not know what he was prescribing as the high dosage level seemed “inappropriate”, particularly for an elderly patient.
Another pharmacist, Roy Hogan of Hogan’s Life Pharmacy on Parnell Street, Dublin, said he was also concerned about a prescription for high blood pressure for another elderly patient from Dr Paz Pena.
Mr Hogan said the dosage recommended by the GP was four times the normal strength of the medicine, which he believed could create a significant risk of the woman’s blood pressure dropping.
He said another medicine prescribed by Dr Paz Pena for the same patient created the risk of increased potassium levels which could cause an irregular heartbeat and even a heart attack.
Dr Pearse Phelan, the founder of Doctors on Duty, said Dr Paz Pena was “very combative” when challenged about prescribing a high dosage of medicine to Mr Jordan’s patient.
Dr Phelan said the doctor insisted he had clinical freedom to issue prescriptions whatever way he wanted and claimed the medicine was a standard treatment for high blood pressure in Spain.
The retired doctor said he informed Dr Paz Pena he regarded the prescription as “totally inappropriate”.
Dr Phelan said he decided to take the doctor off the Doctors on Duty rota as a result of what happened.
Dr Ciaran Regan, who hired Dr Paz Pena as a locum for his surgery in Strokestown, Co Roscommon, between November 2017 and February 2018 said he terminated the Spanish doctor’s contract immediately after becoming aware he did not have adequate medical insurance cover.
The inquiry heard Dr Paz Pena had subsequently informed the IMC that his insurance indemnity had been cancelled since June 10, 2017.
Counsel for the IMC, Elaine Finneran BL, said Dr Paz Pena had failed the standard of competence that one would reasonably expect of medical practitioners in relation to his care of the two patients.
Ms Finneran said he had also fallen seriously short of the standards expected of doctors over his failure to have adequate medical insurance cover.
She claimed it amounted to professional misconduct as well as being in contravention of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007.
The hearing was adjourned until Thursday.
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