Newport Beach Psychiatrist Renato Monaco Surrenders License for Negligent Prescribing of Controlled Substances

September 13, 2022

On December 14, 2021, the Medical Board of California accepted the surrender of Newport Beach, California psychiatrist Renato Monaco’s license to practice medicine.  

This disciplinary action was based on the Board’s June 9, 2021 accusations against him for repeated negligent acts in his care and treatment of patients. 

The Board found that Monaco failed to monitor a patient for adverse side effects while prescribing controlled substances, including, but not limited to the benzodiazepine (anti-anxiety drug) alprazolam and diazepam, and the sedative Ambien for more than one year without continual evaluation.

Regarding other patients, the Board found that Monaco failed to mitigate the risk of overdose by continuing to prescribe Ambien and the benzodiazepine clonazepam to a patient who was known to be receiving regular prescriptions for opioids from another provider, and for failing to prevent long-term us of benzodiazepines.

Source: Decision in the Matter of the Accusation Against Renato P. Monaco, M.D., Physician’s and Surgeon’s Certificate No. C18379, Case No. 800-2018-045245, Medical Board of California, December 14, 2021.