November 6, 2006 Editor's Note: Following the MDCH summary suspension of this license on December 29, 2005 the suspension was lifted on March 16, 2006. The matter was resolved by Consent Order, which Eric Nicholas Backos, M.D. agreed to on April 3, 2006 and was accepted by the Michigan Board of Medicine disciplinary subcommittee on May 17, 2006.

The terms required Dr. Backos be placed on probation for three years with the requirement that he comply with the terms of the monitoring agreement he entered into with MDCH on March 14, 2006, which provided the basis to lift the suspension.

January 12, 2006

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has summarily suspended the license to practice medicine of Eric Nicholas Backos, M.D. The MDCH Bureau of Health Professions orders a summary suspension when it believes that the public's health, safety, and welfare warrant emergency action.

On December 27, 2005, Backos admitted to the Fraser Department of Public Safety that he had used an illegal substance on a weekly basis for approximately one year. Additionally, Backos admitted to prescribing Xanax, a schedule 4 controlled substance, to his sister-in-law for no lawful, diagnostic or therapeutic purpose. He further admitted that the sister-in-law then filled the Xanax prescription and returned the pills to Backos for his own use.

On December 29, 2005, MDCH issued an order immediately suspending Backos' medical license. An administrative hearing will be scheduled to address the status of Backos' license.

For more information on disciplinary actions taken by the health professional licensing boards within MDCH, please go to http://www.michigan.gov/mdch, and click on Health Systems and Licensing.