The malpractice claims experience of physicians investigated for inappropriate prescribing.

Inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances, primarily opiates and benzodiazepines, is the most common complaint brought before the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners. We describe the malpractice claims experience of 120 physicians previously investigated by the Oregon board for inappropriate prescribing. These physicians were matched with a comparison group by age, specialty, and practice location. We found that a mean of one malpractice claim had been filed against each physician in our study, with the specialties of obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, and orthopedics having the most claims. A significantly higher mean number of malpractice claims had been filed against 31 physicians disciplined by the board. Our study suggests a role for state regulatory boards in the malpractice area. We propose that such bodies do practice reviews based on the convergence of two events, a disciplinary action such as those described in this article and the filing of more than one malpractice claim against a physician. Further research is needed on inappropriate prescribing by physicians and its possible association with malpractice.