Lewis H. Stocks, III, M.D., Ph.D., who practices in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been disciplined twice by the North Carolina Medical Board:
- In 2005, the board reviewed six patient records, concluded that Stocks “consistently failed to maintain coherent and accurate . . . records documenting the patient’s history, physical findings, assessments of findings, and the plan for treatment,” and ordered him to take an intensive course in recordkeeping.
- In 2011, as shown below, Stocks entered a consent order to settle charges that his management of six patients was substandard. In each case Stocks prescribed hormonal therapy that the board believed was either inappropriate, inadequately documented, and/or prescribed without adequate discussion of risks. The agreement required him to develop an acceptable consent form and to submit to random chart reviews for an unspecified period of time.
Stocks practiced as a general surgeon for about 30 years. In 2010, he founded the Stocks Institute for Age Management, which offers “bioidentical hormone replacement therapy” for men and women. The Institute’s Web site claims that “replacing our lost or declining hormones with Bio Identical hormones is the safest and most effective way to manage the aging process.”
BEFORE THE
NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL BOARD
|
In re: Lewis Henry Stocks, III, M.D., Respondent. |
) ) ) ) ) |
CONSENT ORDER |
This matter is before the North Carolina Medical Board (hereafter Board) on information regarding Lewis Henry Stocks, III, M.D. (hereafter Dr. Stocks). Dr. Stocks admits and the Board finds and concludes the following:
Whereas, the Board is a body duly organized under the laws of North Carolina and is the proper party to bring this proceeding under the authority granted it in Article 1 of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes; and
Whereas, the Board issued Dr. Stocks a license to practice medicine on January 27, 1973, license number 18344; and
Whereas, during the times relevant herein, Dr. Stocks practiced medicine in Raleigh, North Carolina; and
Whereas, the Board had occasion to have Dr. Stocks’ medical records for six (6) Age Management patients reviewed; and Whereas, by training and experience, Dr. Stocks is a general surgeon, and has a PhD in Pharmacology; and
Whereas, Patient A, a 59 year old female, presented to Dr. Stocks for age management therapy; and
Whereas, Patient A presented to Dr. Stocks with a history of profound leaky gut syndrome with fibromyalgia and failure to thrive and documented hormonal imbalance; and
Whereas, based on lab tests, symptoms and history, Dr. Stocks prescribed hormone replacement therapy to Patient A, including testosterone, progesterone and sermorelin; and
Whereas, Dr. stocks treated Patient A without conducting a physical exam; and
Whereas, Pa tient B, a 49 year old male, presented to Dr. Stocks with symptoms of age-related concerns, specifically, symptoms of memory loss, fatigue and low libido; and
Whereas, Patient’s B’s lab results showed testosterone level in the normal range and his free testosterone in the low normal range; and
Whereas, based on the lab report and Patient B’ s history and symptoms Dr. Stocks diagnosed Patient B with hypogonadism and prescribed high doses of testosterone to Patient B; and
Whereas Dr. Stocks’ intake visit note of the first encounter with Patient B is different from the first documented, handwritten note of the same date in the medical record which speaks to “improved condition”; therefore, there is confusion in the medical record as to the date of the visits and the dosing of the testosterone due to a clerical, medical record error; and Whereas, Patient C, a 62 year old female, presented to Dr. Stocks for continuation of bio-identical hormone therapy, which she had undergone out-of-state for the three previous years; and
Whereas, Patient C presented with multiple complaints including fatigue, muscle pain, indigestion, incontinence, headaches, anxiety, depression as well as age management issues; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks prescribed testosterone and estradiol to Patient C; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks did not document his discussion with Patient C that unopposed estrogen therapy in post-menopausal women with an intact uterus has an increased risk of endometrial hyperplasia and cancer, and
Whereas, based on Patient C’s lab values of progesterone and her history, Dr. Stocks chose to continue therapy, and Whereas, Dr. Stocks also failed to document his discussion with Patient C of her vitamin D deficiency; and
Whereas, Patient D is a 58 year-old male who presented with age related complaints and low testosterone and free testosterone lab values; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks prescribed high doses of testosterone pellets for Patient D for hypogonadism without evaluating the causes of Patient D’s low testosterone levels; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks failed to record the results of follow-up labs and levels of testosterone; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks did not document that he addressed Patient D’s vitamin 0 deficiency; and
Whereas, Patient E is a 43 year old female who presented to Dr. Stocks for age management therapy with multiple complaints, including menometrorrhagia, low libido, joint pain, fuzzy thinking, mood swings, muscle weakness, palpitations and obesity; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks assessed Patient E as hypogonadal with estrogen dominance based on history, exam and labs showing very low total and free testosterone; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks inserted testosterone pellets on her initial visit, and a few months later Patient E did report symptoms of androgen excess; and
Whereas, Patient F is a 54 year old woman who presented to Dr. Stocks for age management issues and with concerns about her previously diagnosed osteoporosis; and
Whereas, Patient F had a history of breast cancer in 1992; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks began Patient F on a hormone replacement therapy of estriol vaginal cream, progesterone and testosterone; and
Whereas, it is the standard to avoid the use of hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and progesterone in patients with a history of breast cancer, and if a decision is made to use hormone replacement therapy in such a patient, then the physician should document his discussion of risks and benefits of such therapy to the patient; and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks did not document his discussion of the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy with Patient F; and
Whereas Dr. Stocks did not document his explanation that estriol vagitabs hit no breast receptors, but there are e-mails in the chart to the patient verifying this, and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks thought it safe to use estriol vagitabs in her case of remote breast cancer, and
Whereas, Dr. Stocks’ care and management of Patients A through F constitute unprofessional conduct, including, but not limited to, departure from, or the failure to conform to, the standards of acceptable and prevailing medical practice wi thin the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-14 (a) (6), and grounds exist under that section of the North Carolina General Statutes for the Board to annul, suspend, revoke, or limit Dr. Stock’s license to practice medicine issued by the Board; and
Whereas, the Board has determined that it is in the public interest to resolve this case as set forth in this Consent Order;
NOW THEREFORE and with Dr. Stocks’ consent it is ORDERED that:
1. Dr. Stocks’ license to practice medicine and surgery is SUSPENDED for ONE (1) YEAR. Such suspension is STAYED immediately subject to the following terms and conditions:
a. Dr. Stocks shall fully document all encounters with patients and institute an electronic records management system as soon as practical.
b. Dr. Stocks shall submit to random chart reviews of his patients by Board investigators.
c. Dr. Stocks shall develop a consent form acceptable to the Board for his Age Management Practice that shows the patient fully understands such practices may be experimental, non-traditional or that they may depart from acceptable and prevailing medical practices.
d. Dr. Stocks shall provide a copy of this Consent Order to all current and prospective employers.
2 . Dr. Stocks shall obey all laws. Furthermore, Dr. Stocks shall obey all regulations related to the practice of medicine.
3. Dr. Stocks shall notify the Board in writing of any change in his residence or practice addresses within ten (10) days of the change.
4. Dr. Stocks shall meet with the Board or members of the Board for an informal interview at such times as may be requested by the Board.
5. If Dr. Stocks fails to comply with any of the terms of this Consent Order, that failure shall constitute unprofessional conduct within the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-14(a) (6) and shall be grounds, after any required notice and hearing, for the Board to annul, suspend, or revoke his license, or to deny any application he might make in the future.
6. This Consent Order shall take effect immediately upon its execution by both Dr. Stocks and the Board and it shall continue in effect until specifically ordered otherwise by the Board.
7. Dr. Stocks hereby waives any requirement under law or rule that this Consent Order be served on him.
8. Upon execution by Dr. Stocks and the Board, this Consent Order shall become a public record within the meaning of Chapter 132 of the North Carolina General Statutes and shall be subject to public inspection and dissemination pursuant to the provisions thereof. Additionally, it will be reported to persons, entities, agencies, and. clearinghouses as required by and permitted by law including, but not limited to, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the National Practitioner Data Bank, and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.
By Order of the North Carolina Medical Board this the 17TH day of February, 2011.
NORTH CAROLINA MEDICAL BOARD
_______________________
Janice E. Huff, M.D.
President
Consented to this the 15 day of Feb, 2011.
________________________
Lewis Henry Stocks, III, M.D.
This page was posted on December 30, 2012.
