North Carolina Psychiatrist Alfred Kwasi Foluke Suspended over Boundary Violations With Vulnerable Patient

June 13, 2023

On May 20, 2022, the North Carolina Medical Board indefinitely suspended the medical license of psychiatrist Alfred Kwasi Foluke, of New Bern, who specialized in addiction treatment, after finding that he engaged in multiple inappropriate dual relationships with a patient being treated for opioid use disorder.

According to the board’s disciplinary order, Dr. Foluke simultaneously acted as Patient A’s psychiatrist, employer, and landlord while continuing to prescribe Suboxone and other medications. The board found that he hired the patient to work for his property management business, rented one of his homes to her, and stayed overnight at the residence on two occasions while she was still under his care. Although the board stipulated there was no evidence of a sexual relationship, regulators concluded that the conduct represented a serious breach of professional ethics and acceptable medical practice standards.

The case highlights longstanding patient safety concerns surrounding boundary violations in psychiatric and addiction treatment settings, where patients may be especially vulnerable because of mental health conditions, substance use disorders, financial instability, or dependence on a treating provider. State regulators determined that Dr. Foluke’s conduct constituted unprofessional behavior and ordered that his license remain suspended unless he completes ethics training, undergoes a competency evaluation, and completes additional education on Suboxone prescribing and substance abuse treatment.

Source: Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Order of Discipline in re: Alfred Kwasi Foluke, M.D., North Carolina Medical Board, May 20, 2022.