ARANSAS PASS, Texas — An Aransas Pass doctor is being disciplined and publicly reprimanded by the Texas Medical Board for a second time in the last seven years.
Dr. Raleigh Arnold Smith provides care in general and family practices and responds to minor emergencies. He was originally issued a license to practice medicine in Texas in 1979.
However, his license is now restricted after the Texas Medical Board found him violating multiple rules.
The board's public records from March shows their findings.
Specific findings include:
- Dr. Smith inappropriately wrote prescriptions for family members or others with a close personal relationship.
- Failure to meet the standard of care for six patients who were receiving controlled substances. Respondent failed to monitor patients for dependence or diversion, as well as adverse side effects.
- Failure to maintain adequate medical records for six patients.
- He admits that he left signed, blank prescriptions for controlled substances at his office for his nurse practitioner to use to prescribe controlled substances in his absence.
- Failure to adequately supervise a nurse practitioner and several medical assistants.
With strict supervision guidelines — nurse practitioners in Texas are allowed to prescribe medication only under physician supervision.
As a consequence, Smith's license is restricted under some of the following terms:
- Shall not use his Texas license in any jurisdiction to diagnose, treat, or prescribe Schedule II controlled substances to patients in Texas.
- Shall not use his Texas license in any jurisdiction to diagnose, treat, or prescribe Schedule III, IV, or V controlled substances to patients in Texas for chronic or post-surgical, post procedure, persistent non-chronic pain as defined in Board rules.
- Within 30 days, refer any and all current patients receiving controlled substances for chronic pain to appropriate specialists.
- Shall not treat or otherwise serve as a physician for immediate family and shall not prescribe, dispense, administer or authorize controlled substances or dangerous drugs with addictive potential to himself or immediate family.
In the month of March, the Texas Medical Board is disciplining a total of 27 licensed physicians in the State of Texas.
