News Release — January 25, 2006

---

January 25, 2006

Medical Board of California Accusation Leads
To Surrender of Los Angeles Physician's License

SACRAMENTO—Facing a formal Accusation of wrongdoing by the Medical Board of California, Los Angeles physician Paul Joseph Duran, M.D. has surrendered his license to practice medicine. The stipulated surrender of his medical license was ordered on January 23, 2006 with a retroactive effective date of July 29, 2005. An Interim Suspension Order issued on July 29, 2005, enjoined Duran from practicing medicine pending a final decision on the Accusation filed in this matter. Medical Board Executive Director Dave Thornton stated, "The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers. We work diligently to achieve our mission by vigorously enforcing the Medical Practice Act."

The Medical Board accused Duran of unprofessional conduct for violating multiple Business and Professions Code sections including 725, 2234(b) (c) (d), 2238, 2242, 2266, and 4170 (excessive prescribing, gross negligence, incompetence, repeated negligent acts, violation of laws dealing with dangerous drugs or controlled substances, prescribing without a good faith examination, failing to maintain adequate and accurate medical records, and drug labeling) in his care and treatment of four patients. Duran also is accused of violating section 726, sexual misconduct with one patient.

Among other things, Duran was accused of providing care and medications to a patient while the patient was hospitalized in a facility in which Duran did not have privileges to practice medicine and for knowingly prescribing opioid medication without a prior good faith examination to a patient with an addiction to opioids. Duran is also accused of: failing to perform adequate physical examinations; failing to discuss with patients the risk of addiction and possible side effects and complications; failing to evaluate patients for psychological and psychiatric problems; failing to document history of addiction; failing to follow-up with appropriate evaluations, examinations, and referrals to specialists; and failing to appropriately monitor patients who were prescribed significant amounts of controlled substances.

********

The mission of the Medical Board is to protect healthcare consumers through the proper licensing and regulation of physicians and surgeons and certain allied healthcare professions and through the vigorous, objective enforcement of the Medical Practice Act.

If you have a question or complaint about the healthcare you are receiving, the board encourages you to visit its Web site at www.caldocinfo.ca.gov or for questions call the Consumer Information Line at (916) 263-2382, or with complaints call (800) 633-2322.

###

---