What can a practitioner in Massachusetts be disciplined for?

Enforcement · part of The Practice Perimeter

The grounds for discipline include that the physician fraudulently procured the certificate of registration; is guilty of an offense against any provision of the laws of the commonwealth relating to the practice of medicine, or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder; or is guilty of conduct which places into question the physician's competence to practice medicine, including but not limited to gross misconduct in the practice of medicine or of practicing medicine fraudulently, or beyond its authorized scope, or with gross incompetence, or with gross negligence on a particular occasion or negligence on repeated occasions.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 5(a)–(c) · verified Sep 8, 2026 · regulatory monitoring, not legal advice

The rest of what Massachusetts says on this

Every other rule we have verified under disciplinary landscape, each linked to its primary source.

  • The Board shall investigate ALL complaints relating to the proper practice of medicine by any person holding a certificate of registration under §§ 2 to 12A, and report the same to the proper prosecuting officers. There is no threshold below which a complaint is not investigated.

    Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 5 · verified Sep 1, 2026

  • A disciplinary unit is established within the Board of Registration in Medicine, responsible for investigating complaints and prosecuting disciplinary actions against licensees, and the executive director shall hire the attorneys and investigators necessary to carry out its responsibilities.

    Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 5 · verified Sep 1, 2026

  • Practicing without a license is a crime in Massachusetts, and the section reaches holding yourself out as much as treating. Whoever is not lawfully authorized to practice medicine and registered under § 2, yet holds himself out as a practitioner of medicine or practices or ATTEMPTS to practice medicine in any of its branches — or practices under a false or assumed name, or personates another practitioner — shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not less than one month nor more than one year, or both.

    Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 6 · verified Sep 1, 2026

  • ⚠️ AND THE MONEY IS NOT RECOVERABLE. A person rendering medical service in violation of § 6 SHALL RECOVER NO COMPENSATION THEREFOR. The unlicensed practitioner cannot sue to be paid, and the fee for work already done is forfeit — a consequence that lands on the business rather than the license, and that no insurance answers.

    Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 6 · verified Sep 1, 2026

  • The board may, after a hearing pursuant to chapter 30A, revoke, suspend, or cancel the certificate of registration, or reprimand, censure, impose a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars for each classification of violation, require the performance of up to one hundred hours of public service, require a course of education or training, or otherwise discipline a physician.

    Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 112, § 5 · verified Sep 8, 2026

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← All Massachusetts rules and changes · MedSpaRadar is regulatory monitoring and reference, not legal, medical, or compliance advice. Verify against the linked primary source and consult qualified counsel before acting — rules change and turn on your specific facts. Legislative data via LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).