EDGEWOOD, Ky. — An Edgewood physician who allowed an unlicensed assistant to administer anesthesia is no longer allowed to practice medicine in Kentucky, according to an agreed order from the state board of medical licensure.
In an investigation released June 1, the state medical board found that Pragya B. Gupta, who specializes in interventional pain management, allowed Donald Jay Thomas to actively participate in patients’ care, including the administration of anesthesia via IV.
Thomas, Gupta said in response to the investigation "is a trained medical assistant.”
But the board did not find such training to be adequate.
“My conclusion is that Donnie J. Thomas is practicing medicine without a license,” the investigation reads. “This represents an immediate threat to the safety and health of the citizens of Kentucky.”
The investigation goes on to say that while Gupta, who practiced at a clinic on Barnwood Drive in Edgewood, considers Thomas to be a medical assistant because of his training, “[Gupta] conceded that Mr. Thomas has no certification.”
The situation was brought to the board’s attention in a January 2023 complaint.
The complaint states that Thomas was introduced to a patient as the office manager, but that he was an active participant in the patient’s care.
“On multiple occasions, he was the individual who administered the anesthesia,” the complaint said. “He would ask Dr. Gupta how much to administer and then measure out and give the doses by IV.”
The patient goes on to describe complications she experienced during and after the procedures intended to treat fibromyalgia, including swelling, a possible allergic reaction, being given more anesthesia than necessary, and being prescribed the incorrect dosage of medication.
Gupta responded to the complaint on Feb. 12, calling Thomas a trained medical assistant and saying that he did not recall any type of allergic reaction.
The board responded on March 21, saying that they found the patient had been overmedicated, among other things. Gupta responded by saying that the patient was difficult to manage.
“I spent anywhere from 1-2 hours with her each visit and could not document everything that transpired during the visit,” Gupta said in the response. “I treated her with FDA-approved combination medicine for fibromyalgia as she failed all other treatments, but she did not respond.”
In May, Gupta informed the board that he is moving to California and is planning to take a job there starting in October. He told the board all patients were transferred to another physician, that May 18 was his last day, and that he would perform no further procedures in Kentucky.
According to his website, Gupta is also an assistant professor in anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington.
This story originally appeared on LINK NKY. Click here for more.
Watch Live:
