The Washington Medical Commission has fined a Yakima physician and restricted his medical license after determining he failed to meet the state's standard of care by improperly prescribing ivermectin to patients as a treatment for COVID-19 and spreading misinformation.
The commission placed Wilkinson's license to practice as a physician on probation for five years and fined him $15,000.
During that time, Wilkinson will not be allowed to prescribe ivermectin for non-FDA-approved purposes. He will have to undergo a clinical competency assessment within six months.
Peter Serrano, Wilkinson's attorney, said his client is still deciding whether to appeal the medical commission's decision to restrict his license. Wilkinson's decision to appeal will be determined in part on the results of a civil case he filed with three other doctors against the medical commission, he said.
A statement and order issued earlier this month by the medical commission said it restricted Wilkinson's license because of unprofessional conduct and misrepresentations of COVID-19 to his patients.
The order said Wilkinson prescribed ivermectin to seven patients from August to December 2021 without documenting a sufficient rationale and without informing the patients the medication was not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for COVID-19 treatment or prevention.
The document said Wilkinson failed to establish a physician-patient relationship with some of the patients and prescribed inhaled hydrogen peroxide to one patient without "a warning that inhaled hydrogen peroxide does not have any effect on a COVID-19 infection and is dangerous."
The commission also pointed to blog posts in which Wilkinson shared misleading statements about COVID-19.
"When physicians spread inaccurate information and rely on their status as licensed physicians to bolster their message, it is especially harmful as it threatens the health and well-being of the community and undermines public trust in the profession and established best practices in care," the commission said in the order.
Wilkinson is one of four plaintiffs in a Benton County case challenging the Washington Medical Commission's COVID-19 misinformation position statement. The position statement says that the commission relies on the FDA approval of medications for COVID-19 treatment as the standard of care and notes that ivermectin is not FDA approved for COVID-19.
The lawsuit was filed by the Pasco-based Silent Majority Foundation on behalf Wilkinson and three other doctors, two of which are facing similar, COVID-19 related disciplinary actions from the state's medical commission. Serrano, Wilkinson's attorney, is the Silent Majority Foundation's director and general counsel.
Wilkinson responded to the medical commission's investigation on the Silent Majority Foundation's website.
"Because I've willingly shared approaches to early COVID-19 treatment outside of the government's 'approved' approach, I've been punished by the WMC; however, many patients have expressed appreciation for my willingness to conduct independent research and treat the person according to his/her symptomology," he said.
In the lawsuit, the Silent Majority Foundation argues the medical commission's COVID-19 misinformation position statement is being used as an enforceable rule, despite not being established as one, instead being enforced through the state's Uniform Disciplinary Act.
A hearing is scheduled Aug. 30 in Benton County.
The lawsuit also asks the court to stay all of the medical commission's charges against the four plaintiffs. This would include Wilkinson's license restriction and probation. In addition, the lawsuit asks the court to stay all commission proceedings related to the prescription of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID or misinformation related to COVID, attorney's fees, and any other relief to which they may be entitled.
