Psychiatrist Khaja N. Chisty Disciplined in CA and CO for Unlawful Prescribing of Controlled Substances

December 22, 2018

On December 21, 2018, the California Medical Board revoked the license of psychiatrist Khaja Chisty. The state stayed the revocation and placed Chisty on 35 months’ probation. In September 2018, the Board issued an Accusation against Chisty, containing allegations of improper prescribing practices, failure to ensure continuity of care, and failure to obtain consent from patients scheduled for telehealth appointments when he was out the country.

These charges are in reference to disciplinary actions that the Colorado Medical Board took against Chisty in April 2018, in which it placed Dr. Chisty on five years’ probation with conditions including (1) restriction from using telehealth technologies to practice medicine and (2) indefinite restriction from prescribing, possessing, maintaining a supply of, administering or dispensing any controlled substances.

The Colorado Board’s investigation found that Chisty was out of the country and physically absent from his office during an approximately four-month period in late 2015-early 2016. It was further found that during this period, he left post-dated, pre-signed prescriptions for certain patients and that he may have left pre-signed blank prescriptions with his office staff to provide to other patients during his absence. The Board found that hundreds of prescriptions for controlled substances were filled by Chisty’s patients while he was out of the country.

From 1999 to 2013, psychiatric drug prescriptions increased by 117%, resulting in a 240% increase in death rates.

Source: Decision in the Matter of Khaja Najibuddin Chisty, Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate No. A115512, Medical Board of California Case No. 8002016028330, November 21, 2018.