Watertown doctor's license revoked

Dr. Joyce Wong Buckley's medical license has been revoked, effective Tuesday.

The New Concepts Obstetrics & Gynecology physician has been found guilty by a Department of Health hearing committee of gross negligence, practicing the profession beyond the authorized scope of Samaritan Medical Center, failure to maintain accurate patient records and failure to make requested documents available to the Department of Health.

She originally was charged with 78 specifications of misconduct. The committee determined that Dr. Buckley authorized and dispensed thousands of prescriptions for non-controlled prescription drugs to men and women throughout the nation.

"On or about 2005-2007," the report said, approximately 75,000 prescribing determinations were made in her name based on online surveys from an Internet pharmacy company. Her compensation for that was $150,000.

The unnamed people who received prescription drugs were from West Babylon, Saratoga Springs, Roslyn Heights, Elizabeth, N.J., Gambrills, Md., and Ontario, Calif.

Prescription drugs they received included Tramadol, generic of Ultram, a narcotic-like pain reliever; Levitra, which treats erectile dysfunction; Soma, a muscle relaxant, and Fioricet, which treats tension headaches.

Dr. Buckley was to practice only for the medically under-served population of the Watertown area needing gynecological and obstetric services.

According to information from the state Health Department Board for Professional Medical Conduct, Dr. Buckley alleged her partner, who wasn't named, performed a portion of those reviews in her name.

The hearing committee rejected her argument.

Although her partner was not named, New Concepts Obstetrics & Gynecology, 428 Washington St., was a joint practice with Dr. Elliott Cohen.

Because Dr. Buckley profited from the activity, she is required to pay a $40,000 civil penalty.

The committee found Dr. Buckley not to be remorseful and stated she took no responsibility.

Neither Dr. Buckley nor Samaritan spokeswoman Krista A. Kittle could be reached for comment Sunday.

According to a March 13 article in the Hutchinson News, Hutchinson, Kan., titled "Lyons drugstore alleged to be 'pill mill': Pharmacy shut down, under investigation in connection with death," an emergency order issued by the Kansas State Board of Pharmacy showed that Dr. Buckley was named as the physician who authorized the prescription drugs to individuals through Hogan's Pharmacy, Lyons, Kan.

The article stated that a widow told a special agent that "her husband had become addicted to Soma following a car wreck and began ordering from Hogan's after his doctor refused to prescribe as much pain medicine as he wanted. On Aug. 25, 2007, the man allegedly took 9 Soma pills before bed."

The New York Department of Health hearing committee never specified a pharmacy affiliated with the online activity.

According to Samaritan Medical Center's Web site, Dr. Buckley was appointed to the hospital staff in 2004, after she obtained her state license April 28, 2004.

Dr. Buckley completed undergraduate and graduate work at Ottawa University, Ottawa, and is a 1978 Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada with a specialist certificate in OB/GYN.