Doctor Malpractice

Indian River County, FL: (Dec-05-07) The State Board of Medicine brought charges against two doctors, Dr. Joseph Altieri and Dr. Ralph Monnett, alleging malpractice. Altieri, a Vero Beach psychiatrist, was charged with prescribing various drugs including methadone, Zoloft, and Xanax to a 29-year-old man with a history of problems with pain pills. Another part of the same complaint alleged Altieri prescribed the narcotic OxyContin to a 47-year-old woman with an unsubstantiated chronic pain and a history of heroin and methadone addictions. Altieri agreed to pay a $15,000 administrative fine and perform 100 hours of community service to resolve the complaint brought by the Florida Department of Health.

Monnett, a Sebastian ophthalmologist, was charged with performing an unnecessary cataract surgery on a 79-year-old woman he was also surgically treating for glaucoma. In a settlement reached, Monnett agreed to a $10,000 administrative fine to resolve allegations. Both doctors denied the allegations, but settled to avoid the risks and costs of litigation. Each physician also agreed to take extra continuing education classes relative to their medical disciplines and to pay for the costs of the state investigations. [TC PALM: MEDICAL MALPRACTICE]

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Published on Dec-6-07