North Carolina Psychiatrist Barry A. Moore Surrenders Right to Prescribe Buprenorphine; Fined $5,000

December 3, 2021

On February 8, 2021, North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners (“North Carolina Board”) ordered that the license of psychiatrist Barry Moore be suspended for one year. The suspension was stayed under the condition that he surrender his DEA buprenorphine-prescribing waiver and pay a fine of $5,000.

This action was based on a complaint that the Board received July 3, 2019, reporting that Dr. Moore was continuing to prescribe buprenorphine (a Category III controlled substance) to patients despite the patients' failed urine drug screens. Moore failed to address patients’ non-compliance with their medication agreements; his medical record documentation was minimal, "identical boilerplate" or "largely boilerplate" and not individualized for each patient, nor it contain sufficient histories or rationale for diagnoses; he failed to document his rationale for treatment decisions; and failed to document any discussion with patients or evident recognition of potentially dangerous drug combinations. 

Three out of four patients had positive urine drug screens for non-prescribed controlled substances or illicit substances, but there was no evidence of documentation that Dr. Moore acted on these inappropriate findings. He prescribed several patients “higher than usual” or “higher than average” medication doses without explanation, which can be associated with diversion of medications.

Further, Moore authorized controlled substances prescriptions for the patients of a longstanding colleague without personally examining the patients. Moore was aware that the colleague had lost his Drug Enforcement Agency privileges.

His conduct constituted unprofessional conduct, including, but not limited to, a departure from, or the failure to conform to the standard of acceptable and prevailing medical practice. 

On March 29, 2021, he voluntarily surrendered his Schedule 3 Controlled Substances privileges to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Prior to this action, in July 2020, the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (“Kentucky Board”) granted Moore a restricted license requiring that a chaperone be present when examining female patients. This restriction was based on disciplinary actions taken by North Carolina Board in the 1980s (see below). However, on June 1, 2021, the Kentucky Board ordered that his license be surrendered based on the 2021 action taken by the North Carolina Board. 

Moore has a previous disciplinary history:

On March 9, 1989, allegations were brought against Dr. Moore by the North Carolina Board which stated that during a period of time in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 he engaged in unprofessional and/or immoral conduct of a sexual nature.

On August 28, 1989, his license was revoked by the North Carolina Board due to multiple incidences of personal, intimate sexual relationships with four female patients between 1984 and 1988.

On June 27, 1990, he lost an appeal to have the decision stayed. The Court upheld the Board’s order. 

On December 7, 1990, his membership in the American Psychiatric Association was revoked based upon its findings that he engaged in unethical conduct for consistent abusive behavior, irresponsibility, incompetence, and lack of concern for patients in North Carolina.

On September 25, 1991, the North Carolina Board certified that he was authorized to practice medicine and surgery in the state but limited his practice to Cherry Hospital and to male patients only, until September 1994. 

In September 1994, he was granted permission to practice medicine until March 1997 with the condition that he shall have a chaperone present whenever he examines or treats female patients.

On March 21, 1997, the North Carolina Board reinstated him to full license. 

Source: Agreed Order in re: The Application to Practice Medicine in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Filed by Barry A. Moore, M.D., License No. 54125, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure Case No. 1965, Filed July 9, 2020; Consent Order in re: Barry Allen Moore, M.D., North Carolina Medical Board, February 8, 2021; and Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order in re: Barry Allen Moore, M.D., Board of Medical Examiners of the State of North Carolina, August 28, 1989.