Senator Urges More Oversight of Provider Treatment Programs
At a legislative hearing on Monday, Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) called for audits of state-run substance abuse treatment programs for nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ridley-Thomas expressed concern over the lack of reviews of the seven other health care boards that offer diversion programs for health providers with substance abuse problems. The programs allow providers to avoid public disciplinary action by receiving treatment and agreeing to random tests.
Participation in diversion programs is kept private.
Ridley-Thomas also said he was concerned that some of the diversion programs allow health professionals to continue practicing while in the treatment programs, whereas other programs are not allow providers to continue practicing.
The outside contractor that runs the diversion programs for seven health care licensing boards -- excluding the California Medical Board -- said that it is amenable to broader oversight of its work on the diversion programs.
Department of Consumer Affairs Director Carrie Lopez said the agency would audit the programs in the future. The department provides administrative support to the health care licensing board.
The hearing comes after the Medical Board of California in 2007 said it would abolish its diversion program after five audits found that it was not effective.
Richard Fantozzi, president of the medical board, said that physicians should not be treated differently than other health professionals with substance abuse problems. Patients who had been injured while under treatment by physicians with substance abuse problems echoed that sentiment.
Advocates for physicians asked the Legislature to create an alternative to the medical board's diversion program, which is slated to end in June. They said physicians might not disclose their problems and get treatment if they face the potential of disciplinary action (Ornstein, Los Angeles Times, 3/11).