SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee Department of Health board suspended Dr. Michael Webb of Sevierville for "immoral, unethical, unprofessional or dishonorable conduct," according to a report from the hearing.
In late October, the Tennessee Board for Podiatric Medical Examiners ruled to suspend Webb's podiatry license. Webb practiced podiatry at Sevierville Foot and Ankle Clinic.
An attorney for Dr. Webb said he is not practicing while he deals with a "personal medical issue" and that he looks forward to a contested hearing and an independent investigation into the allegations.
According to a report from the hearing, several of Webb's patients and his ex-wife said he committed numerous opioid-related violations, including:
- Prescribing opioids for the sole purpose of receiving part of each prescription
- Creating a fraudulent medical chart to "cover [his] tracks"
- Prescribing opioids to his ex-wife and creating patient records for her after the fact
- Retrieving pills from his mailbox, which patients left for him as part of the alleged pill-sharing agreements
- Receiving oxycodone tablets from a patient while in the middle of surgeries
- Consuming alcohol, taking cocaine, smoking marijuana and ingesting opioids "until 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m." on days that he saw or treated patients
According to the report, a patient referred to as R.M. never saw Webb in an office setting. Despite this, Webb prescribed oxycodone for R.M. on the condition that Webb receive a share of the pills.
Between June 25 and Aug. 1, a period of less than 40 days, R.M. reportedly received, filled and split five prescriptions for 30 10mg oxycodone tablets, the report says.
The report said Webb had pill-sharing agreements with several other patients including "Patient J.C.," who never met Webb. Patient R.M. reportedly delivered a portion of an oxycodone prescription to J.C. at a golf course.
When the Tennessee Department of Health requested a copy of J.C.'s patient chart from Webb, Webb allegedly texted J.C. and said he needed to "cover [his] tracks." Webb wrote a new, fraudulent chart for J.C., according to the report, and created an appointment that never happened.
The report also claims Webb also wrote prescriptions for his ex-wife over 25 times, most of which were for 30 to 40 oxycodone tablets. The report said most of the prescriptions were not reflected in the Webb's charts and that Webb created notes after the Department of Health requested his ex-wife's patient records.
Attorney Stephen Ross Johnson is representing Webb, and released the following statement:
Dr. Michael Webb is a well-respected podiatrist, business owner and East Tennessee native. He is devoted to his family, his community, and his patients.
Dr. Webb is not practicing while he deals with a personal medical issue. Allegations were made that resulted in a temporary suspension of Dr. Webb’s license, but no contested hearing has been held on those allegations and there is no permanent restriction on Dr. Webb’s ability to practice.
Dr. Webb is dedicated to providing quality medical care to his patients, and he categorically denies that he operated on any patient while impaired. Our office is conducting an independent investigation, Dr. Webb looks forward to its results, and Dr. Webb hopes to return to practice in the near future. Until then, his office is making certain his patients are referred to other providers.