Mark Geier's License Revoked - And It's About Damn Time!

Today, Catherina over at Just the Vax, let me know about a development on a topic that I've been covering for quite some time. And the timing of this is rather fortuitous, as this post marks number 250 for me! I couldn't think of a better subject than to enlighten you all on the latest turn for the infamous Dr. Mark Geier, the physician who inappropriately used the precious puberty and chemical castration drug Lupron to supposedly treat children with autism.

What is this latest development? The Maryland Board of Physicians has (finally!) revoked Dr. Geier's medical license.

File this under: about damn time.

And the order that accompanies this is scathing.

Complaint Filed Against Dr. Mark Geier in Florida

This somehow slipped past my notice. In October, it looks like the Florida Department of Health filed a complaint against Dr. Mark Geier (PDF). I've written about Dr. Geier a few times. This is the guy who, with his son, David (who is not a doctor), came up with an idea that testosterone binds to mercury and thus causes autism. His treatment? Chelate autistic children after giving them lupron, a drug that is used to treat precocious puberty, as part of IVF treatment and to chemically castrate sex offenders. If you are interested in the details, take a look at some of my other posts.

At any rate, Dr. Geier has (or had) a license to practice medicine in several different states. However, a total of 6 states have suspended his license. This all started with Maryland, where he was charged with a number of breaches of proper medical conduct. This was soon followed by other states summarily suspending his licenses in those states. His license has expired in a seventh state, and his application to practice in an eighth is on hold, due to the numerous suspensions he is under. He is still licensed to practice in 5 states, including Florida, though that may change sooner rather than later.

Mark Geier Ordered to Stop Practicing Medicine

I haven't written about Dr. Mark Geier or his son, David, in a fair while. My last post was a map showing which states Dr. Geier has (or had) licenses to practice medicine. Every so often, I have gone back to it to check the status of his various licenses to update the map and license details. If you'll recall, Geier's license to practice medicine in the state of Maryland was suspended on April 27, 2011 (PDF). He challenged that decision, but the state board of medicine affirmed the suspension on May 12, 2011 (PDF). He currently is appealing the suspension. However, until his appeal is resolved, his license is still suspended.

As a result of his suspension in Maryland, his license was suspended in five other states, and his application was put on hold in a sixth. He is still able to practice in 6 states, and surprisingly, in two of those states, his license was scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2012, but inexplicably were renewed without mention of the actions in other states.

At any rate, it looks like Dr. Geier is facing some more trouble that he's created for himself. On February 22, 2012, the Maryland Board of Physicians issued a Cease and Desist order (PDF) to stop practicing medicine.

Measles in Refugee Center

The Montgomery County Health Department issued a press release September 2, 2011 alerting the public to two confirmed cases of measles. The index cases were two unvaccinated children who arrived in the U.S. on August 24. On Monday, August 29, they visited the Suburban Washington Resettlement Center, the Washington, D.C., branch office of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), located at 8700 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD. The IRC is an organization that helps refugees who have been invited by the U.S. to seek asylum here, helping them to get settled and rebuild their lives.

Possible Measles Exposure in Maryland

On June 8, 2011, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene put out a press release (PDF) about a person infected with measles who potentially exposed hundreds or thousands of others to the virus. This person was visiting for a high school graduation between May 31 and June 3. According to the press release, the individual may have exposed others at the following:

• Tuesday, May 31:
• Giant grocery store, 6223 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, MD between 5:00pm and 8:00pm
• Montgomery Plaza Liquors, 6225 Baltimore National Pike, Catonsville, MD between 6:00pm and 8:00pm
• Wednesday, June 1:
• Catonsville High School Graduation, UMBC RAC Center between 6:00pm and 11:00pm
• Thursday, June 2:
• Applebee's Restaurant, 8999 Ocean Gateway Drive, Easton, MD between 6:30pm and 11:00pm
• Friday, June3:
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards beginning at 7:00pm
• MTA Light Rail from 11:00pm until 1:30am Saturday, June4

Anyone who was at those locations should be vigilant about their health over the next couple weeks. Measles generally starts like a cold, with runny nose, watery eyes or conjunctivitis, cough and fever. Several days later, a rash begins to appear, starting around the hairline and gradually spreading down the face and neck and out, across the body to the arms and legs.

People who are particularly at risk are infants, pregnant women and those whose immune systems are weakened, as well as anyone who has never been immunized or infected before. If you begin to show symptoms, stay home and contact your health provider. Those who have been vaccinated or previously infected are most likely immune, though there is always a small chance that the vaccine or prior infection did not grant immunity.

For more information about measles, visit the CDC's web site on measles or view the CDC's Pink Book chapter on measles (PDF).