Psychiatrist Jonathan D. Sommers surrenders license over elderly prescribing issues

December 15, 2011

On October 27, 2011, psychiatrist Jonathan David Sommers surrendered his license to the Medical Board of California in a settlement of charges that he departed from the standard of care in the treatment of five patients, four of whom were elderly. The Board’s document details Sommers’ treatment of the elderly patients, to whom he repeatedly prescribed or administered excessive amounts of drugs and failed to maintain adequate and accurate patient records. It was noted in each case involving an elderly patient, that he prescribed dosages which would have been appropriate for a younger, healthier patient but that an elderly patient would, according to the standard of care, receive a dose that was one-quarter to one-half the amount he’d prescribed.

Source: Stipulation for Surrender of License in the Matter of the Accusation Against Jonathan David Sommers, M.D., Physician & Surgeon Certificate No. G41535, Case No. 12-2008-193482, Medical Board of California.