Medical License Defense: Florida & Michigan

A doctor checking the blood pressure of a patient.

Your License to Practice Medicine, Your Career, and Your Reputation Are in Solid Hands: Ours

For 35 years, we at Chapman Law Group have been dedicated to the interests of physicians. Our medical license defense attorneys have a great deal of experience and regularly represent physicians with actions before the Board of Medicine, Board of Nursing, administrative courts, and the Florida and Michigan licensing divisions (the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)).

We understand the negative impact that disciplinary action can have on your career as a licensed healthcare professional, both at the time of the allegations and for the many years to follow. That’s why we strive not only to protect your license, but also your reputation, your assets and your career.

What Are Common Disciplinary Actions That Require Medical License Defense?

Drug Diversion

Drug diversion allegations can result from errors in the Pyxis system, a failure to properly waste or stealing narcotics from a hospital/employer. Regardless of the truth of the allegations, physicians should retain an experienced medical licensing attorney to promptly address diversion allegations. Drug diversion allegations can not only lead to the suspension or revocation of a medical license, they can also lead to criminal charges.

We have represented countless physicians, chiropractorsdentists, pain management specialists, and specialty physicians in a wide range of drug diversion allegations from multiple-count federal indictments to minor licensing infractions. If you have been accused of drug diversion, we advise that you contact our medical license defense attorneys immediately. In some cases, we are able to resolve the issue before formal disciplinary action is taken. We strongly advise against contacting the state’s impairment program without first speaking to our medical license defense attorneys.

DUI

A DUI can be a career-ending event, if not properly handled. Sadly, too many physicians have lost their medical license because of a DUI. Others have been subjected to lengthy, invasive and expensive monitoring requirements by the state’s impairment program, also known as a professional help program (PHP).

In Florida, the PHP for nurses is the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN), and for all other healthcare providers, the PHP is the Professionals Resource Network (PRN). If you are in Michigan, the PHP is the Health Professionals Recovery Program (HPRP).

But all too often, physicians enter the state’s impairment program without first consulting a medical licensing attorney.

Our medical license defense attorneys strive to protect physicians’ medical licenses and ability to practice unrestricted, without monitoring requirements. We represent both physicians who have recently been charged with a DUI and physicians who have prior DUIs and are facing disciplinary action.

Robert Andretz, who handles criminal and regulatory matters at Chapman Law Group, talks about what happens when physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other licensed healthcare professionals are charged with DUI/DWI/OWI — and the possible solutions when you have a healthcare-based criminal law attorney on your side.

Positive Drug Test

A positive employment drug test usually results in a report to the medical board and/or the state, which will take disciplinary action — including immediate suspension of a medical license. Therefore, it is important for physicians who believe that a drug test may be positive to contact our medical license defense attorneys immediately.

All too often, physicians enter the impairment program or, worse, surrender their medical license without first speaking to an attorney. We have helped hundreds of physicians and nurses keep their medical license and nursing license, after being accused of taking illicit drugs or prescription drugs not in accordance with a valid prescription

Impairment Matters (HPRP, PRN)

Our attorneys represent both physicians who receive a mandatory referral to an impairment program and physicians who have recently been accused of having an impairment and are considering contacting the HPRP or the PRN/IPN.

If you are considering entering the impairment program, we can help you understand your options and help protect your medical license. If you are currently under a monitoring agreement, our attorneys may be able to help you modify it.

Suspensions

Medical licenses can be suspended for many reasons. These include positive drug screens, probation violations, failure to comply with the impairment program, drug and fraud convictions, failure to complete CMEs, and nonpayment of student loans.

Our medical license defense attorneys have successfully helped countless physicians restore their medical license following suspension. If your medical license has been suspended, contact us immediately. There is a very short period of time in which you can request a hearing to challenge the suspension order.

Criminal Convictions

Chapman Law Group’s lawyers help physicians who are facing current criminal charges, as well as physicians with a prior criminal conviction who need assistance reporting the conviction, or help to obtain a medical license with a criminal history. We also help physicians who face disciplinary action for failure to timely report a criminal conviction.

Unlike most firms that just handle medical licensing matters, our firm includes a team of criminal defense attorneys who tackle criminal matters in a way that will help protect the provider’s medical license after the criminal issue is resolved.

Difficulty Obtaining a Medical License

Our medical license defense attorneys frequently help physicians and medical students with prior criminal histories or disciplinary matters obtain licensure. While the process can take longer with a prior conviction or sanction, most issues do not automatically prohibit a physician from obtaining a medical license. We can assist in presenting these issues during the application process and during medical board hearings.

Reporting Sister-State Actions and Convictions

Many physicians report sister-state disciplinary action and criminal convictions without first seeking advice from a lawyer. Others fail to timely report these actions. Reporting requires a balance between demonstrating you are safe to practice while being careful not to divulge information that could negatively impact your medical license. Chapman Law Group can assist providers in reporting disciplinary and criminal actions to the medical board and/or the state.

Your Medical License is Your Career — and the Healthcare Lawyers at Chapman Law Group Will Defend It

At Chapman Law Group, we focus solely on the healthcare industry. We have 35 years of experience in license defense, regulatory compliance, healthcare-related criminal law, and professional liability. Our case results speak for themselves.

We serve licensed healthcare providers across Michigan and Florida.

Our Florida offices are located in Miami and Sarasota. For medical licensing defense, our clients include practitioners in cities, counties, and communities all across Florida, from Jacksonville and West Palm Beach, to Tampa and Gainesville, and from Orlando and Sarasota, to Fort Lauderdale and Cape Coral.

Our Michigan office is in Troy. We represent healthcare providers in and around the Metro Detroit areas, as well as from Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, to Lansing and Flint, and from Saginaw to Kalamazoo.

You worked hard for your professional healthcare license. We are here to help you keep it. Contact us today and let us put our know-how to work for you. 

Need an Attorney? Contact us now!
or Call us at: 1 (877) 234-5911

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