Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal gives Dr. Ghassan Abu Kuwaik a 12-month suspension for prescribing ‘large amounts of medication’ to close family members
A Toronto pediatrician has been slapped with a 12-month suspension for prescribing “large amounts of medication” to close family members under his care — and amassing hundreds of pills at his home, including narcotics and other controlled substances.
Dr. Ghassan Abu Kuwaik, who treated patients at clinics in St. James Town and Vaughan, pleaded no contest to allegations of misconduct that were deemed to be “disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional.”
A search of the doctor’s former residence uncovered two bags of medication that contained more than 1,300 improperly stored doses. The tablets and capsules included prescription stimulants, benzodiazepines and antidepressants, according to a joint statement of facts presented to a disciplinary panel.
“Dr. Abu Kuwaik’s misconduct is serious,” reads a ruling released last week by the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal. “His lack of documentation and careless storage of large quantities of medications created risks for patients and others.”
The doctor’s actions were “systematic and sustained over the course of many years,” the tribunal concluded, and showed a “flagrant disregard” for the rules that prohibit Ontario medical professionals from treating family members.
Along with his clinical work, Abu Kuwaik also served as an adjunct lecturer in the University of Toronto’s department of pediatrics. In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for U of T told TorontoToday he “does not currently hold an appointment at the university.”
When asked when Abu Kuwaik worked as a lecturer and for how long, the spokesperson replied: “We have nothing further to add.” (His profile page on the university’s website was removed after TorontoToday’s queries.)
Abu Kuwaik attended medical school at Himachal Pradesh University in India, graduating in 1993. After immigrating to Canada, he was granted a certificate of registration from the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons in July 2011.
Records show he worked as a pediatrician in the Vaughan neighbourhood of Maple and at a Toronto clinic on Sherbourne Street, just south of Bloor Street. Abu Kuwaik also contributed to clinical research, co-authoring numerous medical articles.
The misconduct that led to his suspension began shortly after he received his licence to practice in Ontario, according to the tribunal’s ruling.
Beginning in 2012, and for the next nine years, Abu Kuwaik prescribed a “significant” amount of controlled medications and narcotics to a close family member identified only as Patient A. The tribunal said he did not create a chart for the treatments and did not tell the patient’s two primary care physicians about the drugs he prescribed.
“Dr. Abu Kuwaik billed OHIP for the treatment of Patient A, including assessments and psychotherapy, on 26 occasions between 2014 and 2022,” the ruling reads.
According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, a physician “must not” provide treatment to family members, unless it’s for a minor condition, an emergency, or if another qualified health-care provider is not readily available.
Abu Kuwaik treated two other close family members, the tribunal said. Both were prescribed various medications — controlled substances for Patient B, narcotics for Patient C — and in both cases, the doctor failed to create a patient chart that documented the care provided.
Although Abu Kuwaik did not bill OHIP for services provided to Patient C, he did claim assessment and mental health care expenses for Patient B on six occasions between 2013 and 2017, according to the tribunal.
“We find that Dr. Abu Kuwaik failed to document his care of Patients A, B and C, billed OHIP inappropriately for some of these patients and failed to adhere to his professional obligations for dispensing drugs and treating family members,” the tribunal concluded. “In doing this, he failed to maintain standards of practice of the profession.”
A joint submission from Abu Kuwaik and the college recommended a 12-month suspension, effective April 10, and an order that he complete a course on professional ethics and record-keeping. He is also on the hook for the cost of the half-day hearing, amounting to $6,000.
“The joint submission on penalty protects the public interest,” the ruling reads. “These terms taken together send a strong message to Dr. Abu Kuwaik and other registrants that serious consequences will result when physicians treat family members and disregard the standards for safe drug dispensing.”