Support for LAist comes from
Become a sponsor
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Donate
Stay Connected

LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network.

Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen
Donate
Podcasts Take Two
Medical Board of California accused of failing to police doctors
solid orange rectangular banner
()
Take Two Logo
Mar 12, 2013
Listen • 6:55
Medical Board of California accused of failing to police doctors
State lawmakers are taking a close look at the Medical Board of California, and whether it’s doing enough to police doctors who freely prescribe painkillers. A recent L.A. Times investigation found the medical board took so long to investigate doctors suspected of prescription abuse that 30 of their patients died while the probe was underway.
The prescription medicine OxyContin is displayed August 21, 2001 at a Walgreens drugstore in Brookline, MA. The powerful painkiller, manufactured to relieve the pain of seriously ill people, is being used by some addicts to achieve a high similar to a heroin rush.
The prescription medicine OxyContin is displayed August 21, 2001 at a Walgreens drugstore in Brookline, MA
(
Darren McCollester/Getty Images
)

State lawmakers are taking a close look at the Medical Board of California, and whether it’s doing enough to police doctors who freely prescribe painkillers. A recent L.A. Times investigation found the medical board took so long to investigate doctors suspected of prescription abuse that 30 of their patients died while the probe was underway.

State lawmakers are taking a close look at the Medical Board of California, and whether it’s doing enough to police doctors who freely prescribe painkillers.

A recent L.A. Times investigation found the medical board took so long to investigate doctors suspected of prescription abuse that 30 of their patients died while the probe was underway.

L.A. Times reporter Scott Glover joins the show with more.