Doctor loses medical license after prescribing medication to deceased woman in Iceland

A doctor has been stripped of his medical license after prescribing medication for a woman who had been deceased for several years. The physician, a well-respected psychiatrist with decades of experience, had sent fifty invoices to the Icelandic Health Insurance for consultations with the woman, despite her passing in Ukraine in 2014.

The doctor continued to issue prescriptions for opioids and sedatives for the woman, even though he never personally treated her. He generated billing and even completed a disability assessment for her three years after her death. His actions raised serious concerns within the Icelandic Medical Association, as the association’s chair expressed disbelief that such a scenario could occur without any red flags for nearly a decade.

The chairperson criticized the system, suggesting that current computer systems in place are inadequate for ensuring patient safety. She emphasized the need for stronger safeguards and stated that it is alarming that the doctor was able to continue prescribing medication for someone who was obviously not able to collect prescriptions themselves.

The physician claimed he was misled into believing the woman was still alive, as he had only interacted with her partner after 2014, who told him she had moved to Ukraine yet occasionally returned to Iceland. At the time, the woman was still listed as alive in the national registry, which provided no reason for suspicion on the part of the doctor. This incident highlights significant issues within the healthcare monitoring systems in Iceland.