State Medical Board Reprimands Psychiatrist Harinder Grewal for Negligence

February 13, 2019

On February 8, 2019, the Medical Board of California issued a Reprimand against psychiatrist Harinder Grewal of the Oak Grove Center in Murrieta, California.

The factual allegations against Dr. Grewal (which the Board originally published in a November 2017 Accusation) provide the substantiation upon which the Board charged Dr. Grewal with gross negligence, repeated negligent acts, and inadequate record keeping.  

Specifically, the document states that Dr. Grewal departed from the standard of care by failing to perform thyroid functions tests on a middle aged patient; failed to perform liver function and toxicology tests on a patient with a history of alcohol use; prescribing lorazepam and Celexa—drugs which carry higher risks of torsades de pointes—to a patient with a history of atrial fibrillation; failed to obtain lithium levels, kidney function tests, blood counts, urine analysis, thyroid function, or toxicology on another patient; prescribed Ritalin and Adderall to a patient without conducting thyroid tests to rule out hypo- or hyperthyroid conditions which can mimic ADHD, but instead accepting the patient’s subjective reports; and failed to keep accurate and adequate records.

In addition to the reprimand, Dr. Grewal is required to enroll in and successfully complete an education course, prescribing course, and recordkeeping course within 60 days.

Fourteen percent of convictions of psychiatrists and psychologists are for drug-related violations.

Source: Decision in the Matter of the Accusation Against Harinder Grewal, M.D., Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate No. A32070, File No. 800-2014-009602, Medical Board of California, February 8, 2019.