DOVER – Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has suspended the Delaware chemical dependency counseling license of Sachin Karnik in light of recent criminal charges filed against him.

In making this determination, Secretary Bullock considered a complaint filed by the Department of Justice, which referenced Mr. Karnik’s recent arrest for felony health care fraud, felony theft, and falsifying business records. The complaint further alleges that Mr. Karnik misrepresented his credentials, falsified his licensing application and disregarded ethical standards.

A separate license held by Mr. Karnik to practice clinical social work was suspended on March 1 by the Board of Clinical Social Work Examiners, following a disciplinary hearing. The board concluded that Mr. Karnik had violated professional standards while caring for a vulnerable patient.

The order suspending Mr. Karnik’s chemical dependency counseling license was signed by the secretary June 5 with the concurrence of the president of the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals.

Delaware Code Title 24 enables a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State, if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to public health, safety or welfare.

The suspension of Mr. Karnik will remain in effect for a period of 60 days, during which time disciplinary hearings will be held or the final disposition for this individual will take place. As the result of a hearing, the Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including revocation of a practitioner’s license or certification.

The licensure status of Mr. Karnik has been updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service. Documentation related to this suspension, as well as documentation of previous disciplinary actions against Mr. Karnik, also may be viewed at this site.

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DOVER, Del. – The number of prescriptions for opioid medications in Delaware, as well as the total quantity of opioids dispensed, have dropped significantly in the 12 months since the Department of State enacted stricter prescribing regulations to help combat the opioid crisis statewide.

Statistics from the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR), which licenses controlled substance prescribers, show 14 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids were written by Delaware practitioners in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2017. The Division also reports an 18-percent decline in the total quantity of opioids dispensed to patients over the same period.

“The opioid epidemic continues to ravage families across our state and our nation, but numbers like these show that the public policies we have put in place are having a positive impact,” said Gov. John Carney. “Health care practitioners in Delaware are partners in the shared effort to overcome this crisis, and we are seeing the results of changes in prescribing practices that will, without question, save lives across our state.”

The regulations, which took effect April 1, 2017, were designed to help prescribers more closely monitor and control the use of opioids by their patients. Six months after the regulations were implemented, statistics showed a 12-percent drop in opioid prescriptions and an 8-percent drop in the number of Delawareans receiving prescriptions.

“Fewer prescriptions written and fewer pills dispensed mean fewer chances for Delawareans to become addicted to opioids, or for these dangerous drugs to be diverted for illegal use,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The regulations we enacted last year to put limits on opioid prescriptions seem to be working. We hope that in the long term these trends will mean a reduction in opioid addiction and deaths.”

Key elements of the regulations were aimed at controlling the amount of opioids given to new patients and aggressively monitoring their treatment. Except in special circumstances, first-time opioid prescriptions may not exceed a one-week supply under these rules. If further opioid prescriptions are deemed necessary, further action is required, including a physical exam with discussion of relevant patient history and the risks of opioids, and a check of the statewide Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) database.

Data collected through the PMP is being used to track prescribing trends, document the impact of state efforts to address the opioid crisis, and identify practitioners whose prescribing histories send up red flags so that further outreach may be conducted.

“This is very good news. We hoped when we saw the first drop in opioid prescriptions after the new, more stringent regulations went into effect that those numbers would hold. This new report shows that they have not only held but improved,” said Attorney General Matt Denn. “This is further evidence that the Delaware regulations strike a good balance between making opioid drugs available to those who need them, and ensuring that they are prescribed in a responsible way and with appropriate monitoring and follow-up. Secretary Bullock deserves a lot of credit for investing the time to implement these new regulations, which will save lives.”

The regulatory reforms complement efforts organized across state government and in cooperation with Delaware’s community of public health organizations and anti-addiction advocates.

“There is no silver bullet for solving the addiction epidemic, but these new regulations give us one more tool to fight with,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Smarter prescribing practices undoubtedly save lives. As chair of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium, I can promise we will continue to seek out approaches and use every tool we can to fight this epidemic and create stronger, healthier communities.”

The Behavioral Health Consortium, created last year by the General Assembly, is working to develop an action plan to prevent and treat substance use disorder, expand and improve mental health treatment and recovery and provide support for family members of loved ones who are battling addiction or coping with mental health issues.

The state’s Addiction Action Committee, also created by the General Assembly last year, is actively considering two other initiatives related to the prescription of opioid drugs: possible legislation requiring health insurance coverage of alternatives to opioids for pain management, and possible state responses to the co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazapenes.

“The regulations are an important component of the state’s overall plan to address the prescription opioid epidemic, and we are pleased to see the regulations are having the intended effect of reducing the number of prescriptions written,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “DPH and the Safe Prescribing Subcommittee of the Addiction Action Committee continue to partner with DPR to increase awareness among prescribers regarding the regulations, safe prescribing practices and alternatives to pain management.”

The Department of Health and Social Services also has boosted resources to help individuals struggling with addiction. Educational materials about identifying and fighting addiction can be found at HelpIsHereDE.com. Individuals who are suffering from addiction can also call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment options. In New Castle County, call 800-652-2929; in Kent and Sussex counties, call 800-345-6785.

DOVER – Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock has suspended the Delaware medical license and controlled substance privileges of Gregory Villabona, in light of allegations of unprofessional conduct related to the prescription and distribution of opioid medications.

In making this determination, Secretary Bullock considered the findings of two parallel complaints filed by the Delaware Department of Justice, which alleged that Mr. Villabona prescribed opioids to patients with little or no required documentation, failed to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, and exchanged guns and weapons with patients.

“The facts presented to me in this case demonstrate an immediate danger to public safety, which is the standard that an emergency suspension of this nature must meet,” said Secretary Bullock.

The order suspending Mr. Villabona’s medical license was signed by the secretary today with the concurrence of the president of the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline. Secretary Bullock also signed a separate order suspending Mr. Villabona’s Delaware controlled substance registration.

Mr. Villabona is a psychiatrist with a practice in Dover and was previously disciplined by state licensing authorities in 2003 for unprofessional conduct arising from sex offenses in Maryland to which Mr. Villabona plead guilty. He was disciplined again in 2007 for violating the terms of a 2005 order, which, in part, prohibited Mr. Villabona from treating minor patients in unsupervised settings. In 2008, Mr. Villabona entered into a consent agreement with the state that placed certain permanent restrictions on his medical license, including limiting his practice to male patients over the age of 18.

Delaware Code Title 24 enables a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State, if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to public health, safety or welfare.

The suspension of Mr. Villabona will remain in effect for a period of 60 days, during which time disciplinary hearings will be held or the final disposition for this individual will take place. As the result of a hearing, the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including revocation of a practitioner’s license or certification.

The licensure status of Mr. Villabona will soon be updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service. Documentation of previous actions against Mr. Villabona’s medical license may also be viewed at this site.

Measure helps improve job opportunities for those with criminal histories

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney signed legislation Thursday that would help improve employment and training opportunities for Delawareans with criminal histories seeking cosmetology and barbering licensure.

Sponsored by Rep. J.J. Johnson, House Bill 97 removes licensing roadblocks so a criminal history will not stand in the way of an individual pursuing and applying for an aesthetics license to practice cosmetology, barbering, electrology or nail technology.

“Delawareans who have served their time deserve a second chance, an opportunity to contribute, and reach their full potential,” said Governor Carney. “This legislation will help those with criminal histories improve their lives, while strengthening our communities. Thank you to Representative Johnson and Senator Henry for their leadership on this issue.”

Championed by Rep. Johnson, the legislation gives the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering discretion to grant waivers for certain felony convictions when assessing licensure applicants if up to three years have elapsed since their sentence. Previously, the waiting period was five years.

“After an individual has paid his or her debt to society, all they want is to be able to begin to rebuild their lives. Stable employment and training opportunities are critical to that rehabilitation,” said Representative Johnson, who chairs the House Corrections Committee. “This legislation removes barriers so that individuals will not be defined by their past and will be able to pursue licensing opportunities to put them on a sustainable path forward.”

Under the bill, the board is also precluded from taking into account an applicant’s criminal conviction if more than 10 years have passed since the date of the sentence and there have been no other convictions during that time.

“We spend a lot of time in Dover making sure that the state government isn’t placing overly burdensome or harmful regulations on our economy or our neighborhoods. Shouldn’t we do the same to help former inmates contribute to both?” said Senate Majority Leader Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington. “Ex-offenders already face a steep climb upon release, and failure often means returning to prison, so I couldn’t be more proud to join my friend Rep. Johnson in opening up an avenue to self-sustainability and success for these Delawareans.”

“Professional licensure is often a gateway to a new life for Delawareans looking to launch new careers, earn more for their families and contribute to their communities,” said David Mangler, director of the Division of Professional Regulation. “We are proud to be a part of Rep. Johnson’s efforts to break down barriers to licensure and broaden opportunities for people across the state.”

For questions about licensing, contact the Division of Professional Regulation at customerservice.dpr@delaware.gov or 302-744-4500. Visit the division’s website www.dpr.delaware.gov for more information.

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DOVER – Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and the state Board of Nursing have suspended the Delaware nursing license of Angela M. Gonzalez-Andino, in light of allegations of unprofessional conduct related to the diversion of prescription medications.

In making this determination, Secretary Bullock and the board considered the findings of an investigation by the Delaware Department of Justice, which has alleged that Ms. Gonzalez-Andino was engaged in an improper relationship with a substance use disorder patient to whom she provided altered dosages of methadone without a doctor’s order. Ms. Gonzalez-Andino is a licensed practical nurse and a former employee of Connections Community Support Programs and is currently on administrative suspension. The alleged unprofessional conduct took place in April and May of this year.

Delaware Code Title 24 enables a temporary suspension pending a hearing to be issued upon the written order of the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the board chair, if the activity of the licensee presents a clear and immediate danger to public health, safety or welfare.

The suspension of Ms. Gonzalez-Andino will remain in effect for a period of 60 days, during which time disciplinary hearings will be held or the final disposition for this individual will take place. As the result of a hearing, the Board of Nursing has the authority to impose disciplinary sanctions up to and including revocation of a practitioner’s license or certification.

The licensure status of Ms. Gonzalez-Andino has been updated on the Division of Professional Regulation’s online license verification service.