State Suspends License of PA Holton

The state pulled the license of Carrabelle's longtime physician assistant, Dana Holton, on July 30, for administrative violations related to the prescribing of controlled substances.

In a July 30 emergency suspension order, Dr. Ana Viamonte-Ros, the head of the Florida Department of Health (DOH), pulled Holton's license, following up on a raid of the Bayline Medical Center's office on July 24.
According to the order, Holton's violations of Florida statute came as a result of his working under the license of Dr. Christopher Rittman, an osteopathic physician who was Holton's supervising physician and who was employed at Bayline.

Rittman filed a complaint with the state, local pharmacies and law enforcement officials on Aug, 1, 2007, informing each of them that Holton had been prescribing controlled substances under Rittman's license number without the doctor's knowledge or authorization.
The complaint also alleged that Holton was impaired due to chemical dependency.

A joint investigation by agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Medicaid Fraud Unit of the Office of the Attorney General and DOH then ensued.
A search of Holton's office took place July 24, which resulted in the seizure of record, controlled substances and legend drugs.

The agents also reviewed drug profiles at local pharmacies and these showed that between Feb. and Oct 2007, Rittman's name appeared on several prescriptions.
A review of these records showed Bayline medical staff "called in large quantities for controlled substances" using Rittman's name. These included Ativan (brand name for lorazepam), diazepam, hydrocodone with acetaminophen, temazepam, alprazolam, pentazocine and clonazepam.

The suspension order alleges Holton wrote the prescriptions and directed staff to call them in to pharmacies, but "deceptively and fraudulently" told staffers that Rittman had previously prescribed the medications and had later authorized them.

Holton was disciplined in 1991 for obtaining controlled substances for himself by representing to pharmacies that prescriptions had been authorized by a certain physician, when in fact they had not been. He also was charged then with failing to practice with skill and safety due to the use of alcohol or drugs.

Following the emergency suspension order, Holton now faces a state hearing to determine whether the board should formally suspend or revoke his license.