Officials in Massachusetts have ordered Dr. Joseph Z. Zolot, a Boston area doctor, to stop practicing medicine. They claim that he provided poor treatment to at least 30 patients. Three of his patients died within days of their appointments with Dr. Zolot. During these appointments, he prescribed drugs, including OxCotin and methadone. Five other patients also died, most of them from drug overdoses.
Dr. Zolot specializes in nonsurgical orthopedics. He has been licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts since 1993. The state’s Board of Registration in Medicine has ordered the immediate suspension of his license. Federal and state law enforcement officials continue to investigate Dr. Zolot. They seized patient records during a search warrant raid of his office last May.
In a medical board document, officials are accusing Zolot of providing substandard care, medical malpractice, and medical misconduct. He is accused of prescribing powerful painkillers to patients who, based on their diagnosis, did not need them. He is also accused of not being fully informed about his patient’s medical history, giving too many joint injections, and not taking action against patients when he found out that they did not follow their proper prescription dosage.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice takes place when doctor error, carelessness, or negligence results in a patient becoming injured or dying. Grounds for medical malpractice are numerous, but can include misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, prescription errors, physician error, lack of proper care, and lack of informed consent.
In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice action is three years from the time that the medical malpractice incident occurred. Due to the complexities involved in a medical malpractice case, it is advisable that you speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.
Needham doctor’s license is suspended, Boston Globe, June 21, 2007
Related Web Resources:
OxyContin, U.S. FDA
Dr. Joseph Zolot, MD
Medication Errors Harming Millions, Report Says, Washington Post, July 21, 2006