The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners has suspended the license of a physician who worked in state prisons after he tested positive for methamphetamine and other drugs, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now Investigators.
Dana Marks, who most recently served as a senior physician at Lovelock Correctional Center with an annual salary near $220,000, has faced disciplinary actions from the board multiple times since 2008.
The board’s complaint states that on Sept. 29, 2025, Marks provided a lab test showing positive results for amphetamines and methamphetamines, “indicating use of mood-altering drugs.” The order of suspension said the board determined that “the health, safety, and welfare of the public is at imminent risk of harm” if Marks continues practicing medicine.
The complaint alleges two counts: knowing or willful failure to comply with a board order, and having an alcohol or substance use disorder. Marks had previously agreed in 2023 to remain in substance abuse treatment for five years and abstain from drug and alcohol use, though what led to that agreement is not detailed in the records.
Marks first worked for the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) in 2016, returned in 2020, and remained at Lovelock Correctional Center until last November. The department declined to comment further on the matter.
Marks’ disciplinary history dates back more than a decade. In 2014, he agreed to a settlement after showing up intoxicated and nearly two hours late for a shift at Banner Churchill Community Hospital, with a recorded blood alcohol content of .223.
The settlement required him to undergo substance abuse treatment, submit to random drug and alcohol tests, attend a support group, and provide proof of compliance before reinstatement of his license.
In 2008, Marks faced allegations of writing prescriptions for controlled substances to women who were not patients. That case resulted in probation, a public reprimand, a $1,000 fine, reimbursement of case costs, an ethics course, and a drug and alcohol evaluation. He was released from probation the following year.
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