Brandon Harder
Regina Leader-Post
Regina doctor James Coruzzi is facing six charges of unprofessional conduct, including allegations of improperly prescribing medication which he then obtained for his own use.
The charges are professional in nature, not criminal, and have not been proven. They were brought on Sept. 27 by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS), which regulates the practice of medicine in the province.
The CPSS website lists Coruzzi as practicing at the Regina General Hospital’s emergency department, but indicates the doctor “has agreed to withdraw from all forms of medical practice effective January 28, 2025.”
Breach of undertaking
First, it’s alleged Coruzzi breached an undertaking he signed on Jan. 16, 2024 which stated that — except under defined parameters — he would not prescribe or obtain prescriptions for Zolpidem, a drug sometimes used to treat insomnia.
“You breached that undertaking by prescribing Zolpidem to individuals who had not presented to the ER and were not seen within a hospital context,” the charge document states.
It goes on to allege that he then obtained the medication from these individuals for his own use.
A second charge alleges he breached an Aug. 7, 2024 undertaking. The document suggests he used “dishonest means” in arranging for other physicians to prescribe individuals with certain monitored medication that government literature says has “been deemed subject to misuse or abuse in the province.”
Further, he obtained this medication for himself, the charge alleges.
Prescribing, dishonesty, medication costs
A third charge charge alleges that Coruzzi himself prescribed such monitored medication to seven individuals on multiple occasions between the dates of July 2023 and October 2024. It states he did so “on each occasion” without: obtaining a proper history, conducting a proper physical evaluation, attending on the people in a patient-physician interaction, and creating an appropriate attendance record.
The charge suggests each of these individuals was a friend, acquaintance or family member of Coruzzi and he was not their treating physician for the conditions which he prescribed such medication.
A fourth charge suggests that — on multiple occasions between the same dates contained in charge No. 3 — he prescribed the monitored medication to seven individuals but on many occasions intended to and did obtain the medication for his own use.
A fifth charge alleges that — on multiple occasions between February 2024 and January 2025 — he approached physicians he knew as colleagues or friends and asked them to prescribe monitored medication to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship.
“You asked the physicians to prescribe for the individuals without the individuals being present to be assessed,” the charge alleges. “You provided false or misleading information to the physicians relating to the individuals’ circumstances.”
Coruzzi also arranged to obtain this medication for his own use, the charge alleges.
A sixth charge alleges that — in 2024 and 2025 — he prescribed or arranged for others to prescribe monitored medication to individuals which he obtained or intended to obtain for his own use.
The charge also alleges that — on one or more occasions — he obtained this medication without paying the full cost or “exercising due diligence to ensure the individual had not obtained the medication through their own insurance coverage.”
According to information on the CPSS website, Coruzzi received his medical degree from the National University of Ireland in 2008.
The CPSS website does not list any previous discipline history.
