On Tuesday, the Montana Board of Medical Examiners indefinitely suspended the license of a Helena doctor they say overprescribed narcotics.
Dr. Mark Ibsen was found to have acted unprofessionally in his treatment of chronic pain patients. The Medical Board also said he failed to properly document patient medical records.
Medical Board attorney Mike Fanning:
"These people were addicts. And Dr. Ibsen would say, we have to wean you, but he never did."
In 2013, one of Ibsen’s employees filed several complaints alleging that Ibsen was overprescribing.
Ibsen shut down his practice in 2015.
Here’s Ibsen:
"Lots of factors conspired for the practice to shut down. But a lot of it had to do with my distraction fighting for my political survival, physical survival and medical survival."
Ibsen is appealing his case, but in the meantime if he wants the suspension of his license lifted, the Medical Board is requiring him to attend medical continuing education classes.
Ibsen says he is applying for licensure in other states. He says he will leave the country if he can’t get an American license.
In May, Ibsen is traveling to India for 6 weeks to work with the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation.
