Sports doctor found guilty of misconduct
Galea imported unapproved, mislabelled drugs while treating elite athletes
A renowned Canadian sports doctor who helped big-name athletes come back from injuries has been found guilty of professional misconduct.
The decision against Dr. Anthony Galea, whose client list included golfer Tiger Woods and other stars, stems from his conviction in the United States for importing unapproved and mislabelled drugs, Ontario’s medical regulatory body said in its decision.
“He has been found guilty of an offence relevant to his suitability to practise, and he engaged in an act or omission relevant to the practise of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional,” the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario said.
A penalty hearing has yet to be held and he is currently able to practise without restrictions, according to the college.
Galea was not commenting Friday, referring questions to his lawyer, Brian Greenspan, who said a date for submissions on penalty has yet to be set. Greenspan noted Galea has been practising without any restrictions.
“He has legions of devoted patients,” Greenspan said. “He has hundreds, if not thousands, of letters of support.”
The physician, who was not licensed to practise medicine in the U.S., nevertheless treated numerous elite athletes there, including football, basketball and baseball players between 2007 and 2009.
He was usually assisted by Mary Anne Catalano, an employee of his west Toronto clinic, the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre.
Some of the medical supplies they carried were misbranded drugs.
“Dr. Galea and the employee un- derstood that if she was asked by U.S. border officers about the purpose for her entry into the United States with the medical supplies, she would respond that she was attending a medical conference where Dr. Galea would speak and demonstrate the use of medical supplies,” the college said.
“Dr. Galea and the employee knew, however, that on the majority of the occasions they came to the United States, their only purpose for coming to the U.S. was to provide medical treatments to Dr. Galea’s patients.”
The treatments, for which Galea earned about $800,000, occurred at the athletes’ homes or in hotel rooms.
The situation unravelled in September 2009, when Galea’s employee was arrested by American authorities in Buffalo after she was found with various drugs and medical supplies.
She later pleaded guilty to making a false statement and was handed a one-year probation.
Galea also pleaded guilty to the importing offence in July 2011 in New York and apologized to the American government, his wife and his assistant. He was sentenced in December 2011 to one day time served and a year’s probation.
Canadian prosecutors also charged him with various drug and smuggling offences in Canada but those were stayed in 2012. At the time, his lawyer called the alleged offences minor in nature.
The former team doctor for the Toronto Argonauts was widely known for a blood-spinning injury treatment, but prosecutors said some patients received human growth hormone, which is banned by major sports.