Illinois Regulators Suspends License of
Chicago Area Physician

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation suspended the physician and surgeon license of Gerald Saul Kane, M.D, of Highland Park.   Daniel E. Bluthardt, Director of the Division of Professional Regulation signed the summary suspension order late yesterday afternoon.  The department issued this summary suspension because it believes the health and safety of the public may be in danger by the continued practice of this licensee. 

The complaint filed by the Department alleges that three patients treated by Dr. Kane received multiple prescriptions, issued in very short time periods, for more than 20,000 doses of OxiContin, and other controlled substances used as pain killers.  In two of the cases, the Lake County Coroner’s office certified that the patients had died of drug overdoses shortly after receiving the last prescription from Dr. Kane.   In the third case, no cause of death is cited in the complaint.

Department officials are seeking a summary suspension of Dr. Kane’s license to practice medicine and the revocation of his license to prescribe controlled substances. The department alleges that Dr. Kane did not appropriately treat these three patients, failed to prescribe medically appropriate amounts of controlled substances and failed to monitor the patients for signs of addiction to these drugs.  While Dr. Kane’s license remains suspended, his license to prescribe controlled substances is also suspended. He has been licensed to practice medicine since 1969 and until this action, had never been disciplined by the state.

Dr. Kane has the right to a hearing before an administrative law judge and the Medical Disciplinary Board.  A hearing has been scheduled for July 3 in Chicago.