Medical regulators take stand against COVID-19 misinformation, threaten to take action
The Washington Medical Commission (WMC) has voted unanimously to adopt a COVID-19 Misinformation Position Statement and may discipline medical practitioners who offer treatments and recommendations regarding COVID-19 that counter medical experts, federal authorities and legitimate medical research.
The WMC provides licensing, rulemaking, discipline, and education for the medical community in Washington.
Commissioner and ER physician Harlan Gallinger said, “As a practicing emergency physician we are on the front line and we are continuing to get bombarded and overwhelmed by patients who are not vaccinated and I think that’s in large part because of misinformation. And I believe that we should be standing up on behalf of the practice of medicine.”
The WMC has always held the same position regarding actions that fall below the standard of care as determined by the Uniform Disciplinary Act, but politicization of COVID-19 and an influx of complaints regarding COVID misinformation prompted the WMC to reinforce its stance, its news release says.
Commissioner Scott Rogers said, “This is not a new policy, this is not a new rule that we are making. We are following everything we have always followed in looking at evidence-based medicine.”
The vast majority of the 35,000 physicians and physician assistants licensed by the WMC are not engaging in these behaviors, the WMC said in its news release. But COVID misinformation has gained significant press coverage, especially examples of practitioners recommending or writing ivermectin prescriptions.
Commissioner and ER physician Terry Murphy said, “These are unprecedented times. I have never worked in a state, where after 30 phone calls I’ve been told ‘There is not a bed for your patient.’ So we have to shift our focus from treatment to prevention and that is part of this document.”
The WMC is not alone in its efforts to underscore the potential for discipline related to COVID misinformation. The Washington Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) voted to adopt a similar position Sept. 8.
Laurie Soine, chair of the Nursing Commission, said, “As trusted health professionals, nurses across our state play a critical role in the communication of health information. What nurses say and what nurses do matter immensely to the health outcomes of individual patients and their communities.”
This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 2:39 PM.