WASHINGTON - Nearly 100 Maryland doctors were disciplined by the state medical board last year, resulting in the most sanctions in five years, according to a national report of medical board actions released Wednesday.

The 109 actions taken by the Maryland board against 94 doctors ranged from license revocations to reprimands, for offenses including sexual misconduct and selling drugs for profit, the Federation of State Medical Boards said.

Two years ago, 84 Maryland doctors were sanctioned, the federation reported.

"We are where we should be," said J. Michael Compton, executive director of the Maryland Board of Physician Quality Assurance, which regulates Maryland's doctors. "We have strenuous requirements to keep problem doctors out."

Nationally, medical boards disciplined 3,685 doctors last year, representing an 11.8 percent increase over 1993, the federation said. The total number of actions taken by medical boards have increased each year for the past three years, it said.

The increase in disciplinary actions signal better investigations by medical boards, instead of more incompetent doctors, said Dr. Gerald Bechamps, the federation president.

He said the medical boards "protect the public from incompetent, impaired or unfit physicians." They watch for substandard care or any particular "egregious" event.

In 1990, Maryland began allowing the state medical board to keep the money raised from doctor's license fees, Compton said, adding that the money was used for more staff and resources.

"We have more investigators who can now meet the demands of the workload," Compton said.

Last year, the most sanctions against Maryland doctors were given for poor standards of care (21), selling prescription drugs for profit (18) and sexual misconduct (13), said Barbara Vona, compliance chief for the board.

She said some doctors were sanctioned more than once.

There were 53 cases of license restriction or probation, 44 cases of license revocation or suspension and 12 reprimands, the report said.

There are nearly 11,000 licensed doctors practicing in the state, Compton said.

Severe disciplinary actions begin with a complaint to the board, followed by a hearing before an administrative law judge, he said.

"We must prove a doctor is clearly and convincingly guilty before we can sanction him," Compton said.

If a doctor is found guilty, the judge recommends a sanction, which the board follows 90 percent of the time, Compton said.

"We try to have built-in consistency when it comes to sanctions for certain offenses," he said.

Only two of the 4,200 licensed doctors practicing in the District of Columbia were sanctioned last year. "It is my assumption it might not have enough investigators," Bechamps said. Fifty-eight of the 14,500 licensed doctors practicing in Virginia received 62 disciplinary actions, the federation reported. -30-

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