Vermont suspends psychiatrist Alban J. Coghlan for practicing without a license, lying to investigators, etc.

April 29, 2011

On March 24, 2011, the Vermont Board of Medical Practice suspended psychiatrist Alban J. Coghlan for 60 days and ordered him to end any and all private, independent practice, based on the State’s ten-count Specification of Charges, which it issued on February 12, 2010.  The Board’s findings of fact in the case, as published in their Proposed Decision and Order, constitute unprofessional conduct, base on having practiced medicine on an expired license; lying to a Medical Board investigator; making false representations in a letter to the Board; failing to keep detailed records with regard to the disposal of controlled substances; prescribing for persons who were not his patient and treating himself and immediate family members with controlled substances in violation of Board Rule.  Coghlan is the Medical Director of the substance abuse treatment facility Serenity House in Wallingford, Vermont. Specifically, the document states that, among other things, Coghlan:

• Practiced for seven days in December 2004 without a license (it expired November 30), during which time he saw 23 patients and wrote prescriptions for eight patients.
  
• He came under state investigation on this matter in September 2006, at which time he communicated to the investigator and the Medical Board that he has “closed his practice” and had not seen patients nor written prescriptions during the week after his license expired.
  
• Billed Medicaid for services provided by other medical professionals which he claimed were “incident” to his services though he was found to have not been present in the office when such services were delivered, thus resulting in false claims.
  
• Prescribed drugs to an immediate family member on at least 29 occasions from 2004 to 2007 and prescribed a controlled substance to two acquaintance without taking a medical history or conducting an examination.

Following his 60-day suspension, Coghlan may resume the practice of medicine only as an employee and/or independent contractor for a licensed Vermont medical services provider.

Source: Board Review and Order and Proposed Decision and Order in re: Alban J. Coghlan, M.D., Docket No. MPC 112-112-0806, State of Vermont Board of Medical Practice.