Doctor Suspended, Accused Of Over-Prescribing

LEWIS COUNTY - An osteopathic physician's license was suspended by the state after allegations he overprescribed controlled drugs that led to several overdose deaths of his patients.

Dr. Lance W. Christiansen has 10 days to request a hearing and 20 days to respond to the statement of charges.

His license was suspended Wednesday by the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the Department of Health, citing concerns he posed "a serious danger to the healthy, safety, and welfare of the public."

Christiansen must immediately stop practicing medicine until the outcome of a hearing.

Christiansen is accused of failing to perform physical exams on eight patients, making unsubstantiated diagnoses, failing to maintain adequate records and failing to consult with specialists or follow the recommendations of specialists. Six of the patients died of overdoses of drugs, including methadone, prescribed to them by Christiansen, according to the charges. One of the patients' death was determined to be a suicide, the others were accidental.

The Health Department said it has made provisions for Christiansen's three Mount St. Helens clinics to remain open in Toledo, Winlock and Onalaska because they serve rural areas. But Dr. Christiansen can't practice at them now that his license is suspended.

The suspension caught some of his patients by surprise.

"I haven't heard anything about it," one man told KOMO 4 News Friday afternoon.

"I had no idea. I didn't know anything about it," said another man outside the Toledo Clinic's doors.

State officials explained the reasoning behind the suspension.

"Our overriding goal was in this situation to take Dr. Christiansen out of practice because of the nature of the violations that are being alleged," explained Blake Maresh with the State Department of Health.

Doctor Christiansen's clinic staff wouldn't talk to KOMO 4 News about the accusations against him.

But his clinic patients had plenty to say.

"He's treated me and my wife and my four children and some of my grandchildren for the last 20 years," said James Duffey, "and I don't have any problem with him."

"If they actually said, 'Oh, your physicians assistant is not available you can see Christiansen' I would say No," said Dee Cline.

We could not reach Dr. Lance Christiansen for a comment about the accusations Friday, but KOMO 4 News did have the opportunity to speak to his wife. She didn't want to talk on camera but she was very upset and very emotional over what's happened.

It's a big shock for folks who live in the area too.

The clinics are in small towns where everyone knows everyone and news of what the state is saying about their doctor is spreading fast.

"Maybe there's something there, maybe there isn't. I don't know," said Duffey.