A Florida doctor who was linked to Treasure Coast Pharmacy has lost his medical license. The Florida Department of Health revoked Dr. Timothy Sigman’s medical license citing five cases where the doctor failed to properly evaluate internet patients and did not have medically justifiable reasons to prescribe anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (hGH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).
“Nothing short of the immediate suspension of Dr. Sigman’s license to practice medicine would be sufficient to protect the public from the danger of harm presented by Dr. Sigman,” according to the Florida Department of Health emergency suspension order.
An investigation codenamed “Operation Juice Doctor 2” resulted in the arrest of Dr. Sigman and twelve other individuals associated with Treasure Coast Pharmacy. The arrest included the principal owners and pharmacists of Treasure Coast as well as owners and “sales consultants” associated with the anti-aging and hormone replacement clinics that used Treasure Coast to fill steroid prescriptions.
Dr. Sigman operated one such “clinic” named “Health Transformations which was registered to his home address.
Dr. Sigman was one of 57 doctors identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during their investigation. Only 5 of the 57 doctors, including Sigman, were indicted.
The 57 doctors issued prescriptions for 10,774 orders of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone that were fulfilled by Treasure Coast Pharmacy. The compounding pharmacy dispensed anabolic steroids such as testosterone, stanozolol and nandrolone.
The Florida Department of Health emergency suspension order cited Sigman for the following reasons:
- Prescribing anabolic steroids, hGH and fertility drugs without medically justifiable reasons;
- Failure to properly evaluated patients prior to prescribing steroids, hGH and fertility drugs;
- Failure to order laboratory work before prescribing drugs to three patients;
- Failure to order follow-up lab work for patients; and
- Providing diagnoses “completely inconsistent with the laboratory data that patients presented to him”
The Florida DOH reportedly had issues with the prescribing of anabolic steroids to an HIV+ patient and to a patient with anemia even though steroid therapy is sometimes medically indicated for those purposes.
According to TCPalm.com, the suspension order criticized Dr. Sigman for prescribing anabolic steroids to a 32-year old HIV+ patient claiming that hGH was most typically used in the treatment of HIV.
The order also criticized Sigman prescribing steroids for the treatment of anemia instead of using iron therapy.
Sigman improperly prescribed “excessive doses and combinations of androgens in methods typical of stacking regimens used for athletic enhancement” according the the DOH.
Source:
Matisse, J. (December 16, 2011). Sebastian doctor charged in steroid inquiry stripped of medical license. Retrieved from http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/dec/16/sebastian-doctor-charged-in-steroid-inquiry-of/
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