A Queensland Botox doctor has been suspended from practice for prescribing human growth hormones and injectable peptides for weight loss or muscle gain to six patients.
Richard Hogben, from Mackay, was found to have engaged in “multifaceted, extensive and repetitive” conduct over eight months in 2015 and 2016 relating to six patients, after an examination of evidence before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
The QCAT found he failed to get informed consent from one or more patients when prescribing them with medications, and he inappropriately prescribed medications to patients, including to his wife.
Three patients were only ever consulted via telephone, which prevented Dr Hogben from physically assessing the patients.
Medications given to patients include ‘anti-obesity’ drug, AOD-9604, a modified fragment of human growth hormone which was one of the drugs involved in the Essendon AFL team drug scandal in 2013.
One patient, who was only consulted by phone and not in-person, was given two growth hormone peptides when they told Dr Hogben they were underweight.
Dr Richard Hogben at Allure Cosmetic Clinic Mackay.
His failure to properly assess some patients may have resulted in potentially serious
underlying causes of their symptoms being missed, the tribunal found.
Dr Hogben, who practices from Allure laser and skin studio in Mackay, was also found to have failed to keep adequate records in relation to one or more patients, and his assessment, treatment, management or follow up of some of his patients was inadequate or inappropriate.
In the QCAT decision handed down by Judge John Allen on May 16 but published on May 22, Dr Hogben was suspended for three months for professional misconduct.
When he returns to work later this year he must practice with strict conditions including a ban on prescribing or supplying injectable peptides, or steroid hormones and must submit to a quarterly audit of his practice records.
Dr Hogben, who has been practising medicine since 1999, admitted that his conduct as a whole “was inconsistent with the” medical profession’s code of conduct and that the prescription of the medications to patients in 2015 and 2016 was inappropriate, the decision states.
He was found to have prescribed the tanning drug melanotan to a patient, when the drug was not registered for use in Australia by the drugs regulator at this time.
He was also found to have prescribed a pregnancy hormone HCG(A) to a patient.
“It is not appropriate to prescribe HCG for weight loss and there is no evidence the HCG was prescribed to (the patient) for any of its approved clinical indications,” the decision state.
“The adverse effects of HCG include increased risk of stroke, coronary artery dissection due to fibromuscular hyperplasia, lower extremity DVT and pulmonary embolism and the induction of psychosis,” the decision states.
“His conduct was both irresponsible and reckless…multifaceted, extensive and repetitive” Judge Allen states in his reasons.
“It undermines public confidence in the ability and integrity of medical practitioners.”