State Fines, Reprimands Psychiatrist Dale Wallington for Excessive Xanax Prescribing

May 21, 2019

The state Connecticut Medical Examining Board on Tuesday disciplined West Hartford psychiatrist Dale Wallington $7,500 for prescribing excessive doses of Xanax.

The board also reprimanded Wallington for performing an inadequate diagnosis of the patient and for failing to implement strategies between 2008 and 2017 to prevent the patient’s abuse of Xanax and Vyvanse, according to a consent order with which Wallington agreed. Vyvanse is used to treat attention deficit disorder. The board also placed Wallington’s license on probation for 18 months, during which he must take a course in prescribing practices and hire a physician to review a portion of his medical records, the order said.

In a letter to the state Department of Public Health, the patient’s parents complained about Wallington’s care of their son and objected to the consent order. They asked that Wallington be barred from practicing medicine for an unspecified amount of time. They did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.

“Dr. Wallington’s reprehensible conduct caused immeasurable suffering for our son and family,’’ the couple wrote. “We remain hopeful that one day our son may be able to live a normal life free from the consequences of nine years of Dr. Wallington’s reckless, harmful medical practice.”

Source: "West Hartford psychiatrist fined for prescribing too much Xanax," Hartford Courant, May 21, 2019, URL: https://www.courant.com/health/hc-chit-medical-examining-board-20190521-4smyyto7kneoze4gyjq7xrlbxa-story.html