Eight California physicians investigated for allegedly purchasing IUDs from unlicensed vendors

Eight Southern California physicians are being investigated for allegedly obtaining intrauterine devices from unlicensed Internet- or Mexico-based vendors, state health officials said, the Los Angeles Times reports (Lin, Los Angeles Times, 9/10).

Physicians in the state are required to purchase IUDs from licensed U.S. distributors that are approved by FDA, according to the AP/San Jose Mercury News.

State authorities have ordered the physicians to notify the roughly 850 women who had received IUDs from their practices since Jan. 1, 2005, about the situation (AP/San Jose Mercury News, 9/10).

In addition, state health officials are advising women who have received IUDs to check with physicians to determine if the device should be removed, the Times reports.

Mark Horton, a state health official, in a statement said, "The physicians under investigation have failed to provide proper evidence that shows they purchased federally approved IUDs from FDA-approved sources."

He added that the IUDs' "safety and effectiveness are unknown."

However, Susann Steinberg, another state health official, said that no health risk has been identified among the women who received the devices and that IUDs used abroad "seem to be effective and safe in the countries they are used."

According to the Times, one of the physicians being investigated -- Hezekiah Moore of Long Beach -- has refused to notify his patients about the situation and said he will not implicate himself for possibly violating state and federal laws.

State health officials will notify Moore's patients about the allegations and are seeking to suspend Moore from receiving Medi-Cal and Family PACT funding, the Times reports.

The seven other physicians being investigated have not been identified, and the cases are being referred to FDA, the state Justice Department and the Medical Board of California (Los Angeles Times, 9/10).