State seeking to suspend, revoke license of psychiatrist John T. Nasse, Jr.

February 9, 2010

On January 28, 2010, the Medical Board of California issued an Accusation, seeking to suspend or revoke the license of psychiatrist John T. Nasse, Jr.

The Board’s document alleges that Nasse committed gross negligence, repeated acts of negligence involving several patients and failure to maintain adequate and accurate records, regarding one patient. Specifically, the document states that, among other things, Nasse:

• Prescribed the narcotic painkiller hydrocodone to a patient 48 times in 30 months in 100 tablet increments—far in excess of appropriate dosage levels;
• Failed to consult with the patient’s pain management to ensure that the patient was not receiving duplicate prescriptions and
• Failed to refer the patient to a neurologist or pain management specialist.
• Prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant to another patient but did not tricyclic blood levels or a drug screen to determine what other drugs the patient was taking. The patient died of a drug overdose on a combination of drugs all prescribed by Nasse.
• Prescribed a benzodiazepine to a Board investigator who presented as a patient, without conducing an appropriate examination or evaluation.
• Prescribed benzodiazepines 19 times in a one-year period to a patient with a history of alcohol abuse—far in excess of appropriate dosage levels.

Source: Accusation, In the Matter of the Accusation Against John T. Nasse, Jr., M.D., Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate No. C29053, Case No. 05-2007-181416, Medical Board of California, filed January 28, 2010.