Ronald Thomas Wilson, MD is a doctor in Denton, Texas who has beliefs that are contrary to well-established medical science. The Texas Medical Board disciplined Wilson in 2010 for unprofessional conduct, failing to conform to the accepted standard of care, and non-therapeutic prescribing of antibiotics.
Despite Wilson’s demonstrated incompetence and unprofessional conduct, he received a slap on the wrist and was still allowed to take money from desperate patients. Dr. David Gorski has documented the TMB’s failure to stop incompetent doctors like a notorious cancer quack and others from preying on patients.
Ronald Wilson is the president of the pseudoscience group International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF), the sister organization to the ILADS pseudoscience group.
In 2010, the Healthcare Protection Agency of UK–after noting the vulnerability of patients “desperate for an explanation and possible cure for their illnesses”– issued scathing conclusions about guidelines issued by ILADS:
- The ILADS guidelines are not evidence-based and are poorly constructed.
- Application of the ILADS guidelines’ poorly defined case definitions will result in a very high risk of misdiagnosis.
- Use of ILADS guidelines’ vague treatment recommendations, including prolonged use of antibiotics, has potentially serious consequences.
- Patients misdiagnosed with Lyme disease risk losing opportunities for diagnosis and treatment of other conditions. They also risk serious physical, psychological social and financial adverse events.
There is a large community of chronic Lyme believers in Texas despite real Lyme disease (an easily cured infection) being very rare in that state. The Texas branch of the cult of chronic Lyme is a good example of how it is a belief system that spreads via word of mouth and the internet.
The TMB initially charged that Wilson (“Respondent”):
- Improperly treated the Patient for “chronic Lyme Disease” by prescribing inappropriate antibiotics and “Juice Plus Supplements” in a non-therapeutic manner.
- Acted unprofessionally by colluding with a product representative selling “Juice Plus Supplements,” which the Respondent insisted were necessary for the Patient’s care.
- Failed to meet the practice guidelines for complementary and alternative treatments when he failed to obtain proper informed consent from the Patient for the use of such alternative treatments and supplements.
Ultimately, the TMB found Wilson guilty of three serious violations in 2010:
- Standard of care: Respondent’s medical evaluation and treatment of the Patient failed to conform to the accepted standard of care for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease based on Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guideline.
- Unprofessional Conduct: Respondent confirmed that he recommended that the Patient purchase a vitamin supplement, for which Respondent received a percentage of profits for recommending, but indicated that he terminated the arrangement with the vitamin supplement company upon discovering that such arrangement was inappropriate.
- Non-therapeutic Prescribing: Respondent’s use of antibiotic treatment on the Patient did not follow IDSA guidelines for the treatment of Lyme disease.
Wilson and the Texas Medical Board reached an agreement in which he would be required to pay a $2,000 fine and take continued education courses.
Resources
Texas Medical Board: Ronald Wilson Discipline
Texas Medical Board: Ronald Wilson Additional Order