Pain Medicine Expert Testimony

An expert witness on chronic pain management testified this week in the case against Dr. Mark Ibsen of Helena, MT. Isben is a former emergency physician who has subsequently operated the Urgent Care Plus clinic in Helena. In 2013, one of his employees reported to the Montana Board of Medical Examiners that Ibsen had over prescribed pain medication to nine patients.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry hearing found the state had no evidence that Ibsen violated standards of care in his prescription protocol and that his prescriptions were written for legitimate medical reasons. The examiner did say that Ibsen failed to meet standards of care for record keeping and recommended his medical license be on probation for six months in order to complete a seminar on properly maintaining medical records.

Ibsen denied problems with his record keeping and stated that the records were scrambled after he turned them over to the board. While Ibsen remains fully licensed and Urgent Care Plus remains open, the panel told both sides of the dispute to submit new proposals in January.

The Board of Medical Examiners in each state validates a health professional’s credentials and is authorized to suspend, place a physician on probation, or revoke his license to practice medicine.