The bill gained momentum as the pandemic put a spotlight on health care disparities and workforce shortages.
The California Supreme Court just armed would be challengers to the state’s prescription drug tracking system. And defanging the system would have an impact on patient safety.
In some states, reimbursements are so low that doctors say they lose money when they see Medicaid patients. And that can make it harder for patients to see their doctor — a recent study found that higher rates improve access to care.
To better appreciate some of the legal problems with the way California's medical board oversees the disclosure of doctors’ disciplinary records online, consider the legal case of the late Orange County skin care pioneer James E. Fulton.
The Medical Board of California has successfully won legislation that will remove a 10-year time limit on the online disclosure of doctors' discipline records. But the board better have its legal team ready, because doctors won't hesitate to challenge the rules in court.
The professional history of California doctor James Privitera includes a series of questionable practices that contributed to the death of at least one patient. And yet the physician's reprimand by the state medical board can be wiped from online records as early as next month.
Should California doctors' public records be expunged from an online database after 10 years? Patient safety advocates didn't think so, and helped pass legislation to undo that expiration date. But the new rules are full of serious compromises.
A California bill designed to curtail prescription drug abuse has stalled in the California legislature. The mismatch between big ideas on the legislative side and fiscal realities on the administrative side should be an alert for patient safety advocates.
The makers of popular drugs like Advair, Cymbalta, Viagra and Zoloft have physicians, psychiatrists, and medical school faculty members across California on their payrolls. Does this influence prescribing patterns?
Efforts by California health advocates to ban the sale of sugary sports drinks during the school day on middle and high school campuses were recently thwarted.
