Lawmakers Consider Doctors' Role In Drug Overdoses
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Family members whose loved ones died as a result of prescription drug overdoses will be among those calling for change as lawmakers consider whether to reauthorize the state medical board.
The Medical Board of California, which licenses and oversees physicians, came under fire following a Los Angeles Times investigation published last year. The newspaper found that drugs prescribed by physicians caused or contributed to nearly half the accidental deaths involving prescription drugs in four Southern California counties.
On Monday, a joint legislative committee is hearing testimony on the issue as it considers the fate of the medical board.
Board officials have asked people whose relatives died of overdoses to contact them if they believe physician misconduct was a factor in the deaths.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.)
