A Pointe-Claire naturopathic doctor has been ordered by a court to pay a $120,000 fine for illegally practicing medicine and misleading people into believing he had the authority to perform procedures only permitted to members of the Quebec Medical Association.
In her decision issued on Friday, Quebec Provincial Court Justice Mylène Grégoire took into account the fact that the medical association has been trying for several years before various organisations to put an end to Ken Montisambert’s “illegal” medical practice, Novo Info reports.
In 2014, a court issued an injunction severely restricting the practice of osteopaths and naturopaths: the medical association argued that Montisambert was diagnosing illnesses and issuing prescriptions, which only a doctor can do.
At the time, investigators visited Montisambert’s clinic, the TriMed Clinic on Rue Saint-Jean in Pointe-Claire, where they reported that the osteopath was using metal probes connected to a laptop to diagnose illnesses such as liver disease and prostate cancer, and prescribing homeopathic solutions as treatments.
Investigators visited his office twice in 2019 to diagnose his illness and prescribe medication. They found that Montisambert had engaged in conduct only permitted for members of the university. Judge Gregoire sentenced Montisambert on seven charges in March 2023.
In handing down the fine on Friday, Gregoire highlighted the fact that the naturopath continues to practice despite past legal charges, including repeat offenders and a permanent injunction.
What is remarkable is that he continued to see patients, diagnose and sell medicines, as documented in an article written by journalist Véronique Dubé in Noovo Info last April, which was used as evidence in the case.
Gregoire said Montisambert bore a high degree of responsibility and that his moral culpability was “complete and aggravated” by the opportunistic and profit-motivated aspects of his crimes.
“Defendants cannot mitigate their liability by citing the existence of other rules or laws elsewhere in the country. No one is ignorant of the law and courts apply what is in force in their jurisdiction,” the judge ruled.
The court ruled that the sentence sent a clear message to the naturopathic doctor, calling him a “repeat offender” and a “rebellious individual.”
“These sanctions are not unduly severe, but are proportionate to the defendants’ level of responsibility and history,” Friday’s ruling read.
– File from Noovo Info
