California ends beleaguered program for impaired doctors

The physician diversion program has received bad reviews since first audited in 1982.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Aug. 27, 2007.

California medical leaders want to hold a summit to determine how to rehabilitate impaired doctors now that a state program is being abolished.

The Medical Board of California on July 26 voted to end its physician diversion program by June 30, 2008. The board concluded that running the confidential program that supports and monitors physicians who have drug, alcohol or mental problems was inconsistent with its mission to protect the public. Doctors refer themselves, or the board places them in the program instead of disciplining them or as part of discipline.

The board's vote came after a June review -- the fifth audit of the program in its 27 years -- found the program is not protecting patients.

"I think it's worse than any of us know. It's scary," said Julianne D'Angelo Fellmeth, administrative director of the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego School of Law. She audited the board and its diversion program in 2004. "It has flunked all five of those audits."

Fellmeth's report said the board did a poor job overseeing the program. She said the program failed to monitor physicians and many were not tested as frequently as required.

A June California State Auditor report cited similar problems, pointing to inconsistent monitoring of doctors and poor medical board oversight. The audit said the program failed to conduct random drug tests, did not require doctors to immediately stop practicing after testing positive for alcohol or drugs, and did not quickly identify missed drug tests.