Committee: Discipline
Decision Date: 08 Sep 2003
Summary:
On September 8, 2003, the Discipline Committee accepted Dr. Sheldon Victor Pollack’s plea of no contest for injecting silicone in 20 or more patients despite informing Health Canada and the College that he discontinued this practice. The Committee found that Dr. Pollack had committed an act of professional misconduct in that he engaged in conduct or an act relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional, which is an act of professional misconduct as defined in paragraph 1 (1) 33 of Ontario Regulation 856/93.
The Discipline Committee ordered and directed the following penalty:
1) That the Registrar suspend Dr. Sheldon Victor Pollack’s certificate of registration for a period of six months effective immediately.
2) That the Registrar impose the following terms, conditions and limitations on Dr. Sheldon Victor Pollack’s certificate of registration:
(i) Dr. Pollack is to successfully complete the College of Physician and Surgeons of Ontario (“CPSO”) ethics course, at his own expense;
(ii) Dr. Pollack is to consent to an independent audit of his practice to identify all patients injected with injectable grade liquid silicone (“IGLS”) after May 8, 1999. The assessor is to be an individual approved by the College and the cost of the audit and any related activities is to be the responsibility of Dr. Pollack;
(iii) Dr. Pollack will send a letter (in a form approved by the College) to all patients who received IGLS after May 8, 1999 advising them of the fact;
(iv) Dr. Pollack will send a letter (in a form approved by the College) to all patients who received Artecoll after May 8, 1999 advising them of the fact and reassuring them that they did not receive IGLS;
(v) Dr. Pollack is to prepare an addendum or correction notice to his charts (in a form approved by the College) to ensure that the charts accurately reflect that patients received IGLS after May 8, 1999.
3. The Discipline Committee directs that the Registrar is to remove the above-noted terms and conditions from Dr. Pollack’s certificate of registration when the College receives:
(i) written confirmation that Dr. Pollack has successfully completed the CPSO ethics course; and
(ii) the College receives written confirmation from the assessor that the audit has been completed, that the charts have been corrected as required by paragraph 3(v) above and that Dr. Pollack has written to all patients who received IGLS or Artecoll after May 8, 1999 as required by paragraph 3(iii) and 3(iv).
4. That Dr. Pollack pay costs of the proceeding fixed in the amount of $2500 on or before the completion of his suspension.