A former Richmond pediatrician surrendered his medical license Feb. 9 after admitting to illegally prescribing controlled substances to several patients, two being his sons.
Because of health reasons, Dr. Stephen G. Ramsay retired his medical practice in 2005 from Madison Pediatric Associates, 793 Eastern Bypass.
On Aug. 3, 2006, investigators for the state Drug Enforcement and Professional Practices Branch of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued a report to the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure that Ramsay was prescribing controlled substances to adults, even though his specialty was pediatrics.
According to the case file, Ramsay was interviewed July 26, 2006, by state drug enforcement investigators and admitted that he was not practicing medicine when he wrote the prescriptions.
At the time of the interview, Ramsay stated that he owned a day care and worked as a consultant for Life Mist, a distilled water distributor.
He admitted to prescribing controlled substances to two Life Mist employees. Both Lortab (painkillers) and antibiotics were prescribed to a female patient complaining of menstrual pain. The same combination was prescribed for another patient complaining of an infection caused by kidney stones.
A third patient was prescribed Lortab and Valium for back and shoulder pain caused by scoliosis.
The case file documented that “(Ramsay) also intimated that he had prescribed medications for his day care employees, their children, other co-workers at Life Mist, friends and family members. At times, this was done without any examination of the recipient. While he was concerned about his lack of professional liability insurance, he felt obligated to help people.”
A patient (named “Adult A” in the document) was interviewed and admitted to receiving approximately 786 hydrocodone (Lortab) pills from April to July 2006.
“Adult B” was then interviewed and said that he or she received five hydrocodone prescriptions during that same period.
Filing an Agreed Order of Surrender with the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure allowed Ramsay to avoid court proceedings.
According to the order, Ramsay’s medical license has been suspended “indefinitely.”
Any violation of the terms included in the order will result in additional disciplinary action, which could include criminal prosecution.
He graduated the University of Kentucky Medical School in 1982 and was licensed to practice in Kentucky on July 1, 1987, according to the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure’s online records at www.kbml.ky.gov.
Ramsay could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Local News
Doctor gives up license
- Local News
-
-
Berry kept wheels going round and round for 45 years
Madison County Schools had 29 employees retire this year, some after careers spanning several decades.
While several retirees have more than 30 years of service, only bus driver Louda Berry can boast a tenure of 45 years. -
Chemical weapons destruction plant is halfway to completion
The chemical weapons destruction plant being built at the Blue Grass Army Depot is more than 51 percent complete, project officials said Monday.
-
Local student’s ‘Big Brother’ recognized
Eleven-year old Levi Gaskins describes his “Big Brother,” Keith Slaughter, as someone who inspires him in and out of the classroom.
“I was really struggling in science and because of Keith, I got the science award,” Levi wrote in an essay about his Big Brother.
Slaughter was honored as “Big Brother of the Year” during the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Bluegrass Volunteer Appreciation Dinner in April. -
Meth lab is found in Richmond motel room
A Saturday morning traffic stop lead to police discovering an alleged meth lab inside a Richmond motel room.
-
Guilty plea entered in school bus incident
A Richmond man charged with first-degree wanton endangerment after he allegedly passed a school bus and narrowly missed a 5-year-old child, avoided trial Monday by pleading guilty in Madison Circuit Court.
-
Tuesday ceremony to honor state’s fallen law officers
On March 4, 1950, Perry County Deputy Jerry Stamper was shot and killed as he and another duty attempted to serve an arrest warrant. -
City adds third truck for large refuse pickup
The city of Richmond has stepped up it efforts to collect items of large refuse being left on curbs along city streets by adding a truck and crew, interim City Manager Jimmy Howard said.
This past week, Howard said he has assigned a driver and two seasonal workers to the extra truck that will patrol the city’s main streets twice daily. -
History comes alive at Civil War site on Kentucky River
No real shots were fired Saturday during Living History Day at the Civil War Fort at Boonesborough, but there was plenty of sound and smoke as area youngsters learned firsthand about the life of a soldier during the Civil War. -
Whooping cough elsewhere but not here in 2012
Although the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department recently reported two cases of whooping cough, with seven more suspected, Madison County health officials have seen no cases this year.
"We know that the trend is for numbers to be up nationwide," said Judy Collins, regional epidemiologist with the health department here. "Our numbers are remaining level. We're not seeing anything out of the ordinary." -
Union City Day
Billy Wall, James Miller and Lyne Thompson of Stoney Run perform bluegrass and gospel music Saturday at Union City Day.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Gerard Butler: the Good, the Bad and the Cannes
At Least 25 Dead in India Train Collision
Raw Video: Private Rocket Blasts Off
Boy to Rescuers: 'Do You Have a Plan?'
Doctors and Devotees Debate Barefoot Running
Blacks Seek to Find Their Own Missing
Houston Museum Unveils $85 Million Dinosaur Hall
Chicago Police: 90 Arrested in NATO Protests
Ex-Rutgers Student Gets 30 Days in Webcam Case
Obama Sees Inspiration in Joplin Graduates
Raw Video: Man Saved After Niagara Falls Plunge
NATO: Afghan Exit 'Irreversible'
Catholic Groups Sue Over Contraception Mandate
4 Arrested After Man's Beating at Dodger Stadium
Investors Slap Facebook 11 Percent Lower
Raw Video: Dramatic 270-Foot Waterfall Rescue
Fingers Do the Fighting at Wrestling Tourney
