[NPInfo] Interesting article

[David Mittman]

On a number of fronts. Marty-you once said that nursing boards are  
harsher to NPs than medical boards are to docs. I think this is the  
opposite. She surrendered license, his was stripped.
But I agree outcomes not finished for him.
Dave
Nurse accused of overprescribing narcotics surrenders license
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Posted by Gideon Gil March 14, 2008 07:46 PM
By Hinda Mandell, Globe Correspondent

A nurse who was acccused of prescribing thousands of addictive  
narcotics along with a Needham doctor today agreed to surrender her  
license and her authorization to work as a nurse practitioner.

The agreement marked the latest development in an investigation of  
Dr. Joseph Z. Zolot, and his nurse practitioner Lisa Pliner. Both  
worked at a Needham pain management clinic, the Non-Surgical  
Orthopedic Center.

The Globe reported in September that Zolot and Pliner ranked 10th and  
9th, respectively, on a list of the state's top prescribers of the  
most addictive narcotics, with only hospitals and other large  
institutions above them. Together, they wrote nearly 12,000 pain-pill  
prescriptions in 2006.

State regulators said today that they had evidence that Pliner's  
"prescribing practices were excessive and inappropriate based upon  
her patients' diagnoses and these practices did not take into account  
possible adverse effects and potential for dependency and addiction."  
The state Board of Registration in Nursing said she "failed to meet  
accepted standards of nursing practices in certain instances,"  
including in performing injections on patients.

Pliner did not admit to the allegations as part of the agreement. Her  
attorney, Michael J. Connolly, said she denies mistreating patients.  
He said the agreement allows her "to put this behind her."

Pliner had agreed to halt her prescription privileges in July while  
the state investigated the allegations. Effective today, Pliner  
surrendered her RN license for a minimum of eight weeks and her nurse  
practitioner authorization for a minimum of one year. She can later  
petition the board to reinstate her license, after taking courses on  
proper pain managment.

Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheaume said about 70  
nurses surrender their licenses each year, often related to substance  
abuse or impairment.

Zolot’s medical license was suspended by the state Board of  
Registration in Medicine in June, following a raid on his offices the  
month before by state and federal law enforcement officials. Zolot  
has not been criminally charged, and he is appealing the suspension.

A document from the medical board alleges Zolot -- who immigrated to  
the United States from Russia in 1988 -- provided substandard care to  
30 patients. The Globe reported that six of them died.

Both Zolot and Pliner are Russian immigrants. The center's website  
said Pliner graduated from Rostov State University in Russia,  
majoring in computer science. After emigrating from Russia in 1991,  
Pliner changed focus "in order to fulfill her dream -- help sick  
people." She later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from  
Simmons College and a master’s degree in nursing from Regis College.  
Biographical information on the website said Pliner started working  
with the center in 2003. "Her competence, interpersonal skills,  
commitment, and warm personality earned her enormous respect from the  
patients and office personnel," the site said.