Under pressure from state lawmakers to reform, the Medical Board of California on Tuesday embarked on a search for a new executive director and considered a host of proposals aimed at combating reckless prescribing by doctors that is contributing to overdose deaths. At a specially convened meeting, the board discussed the need for urgency in developing new guidelines for prescribing OxyContin, Vicodin and other narcotic painkillers that have fueled a national prescription drug death epidemic. Panel members also expressed tentative support for a proposal that would form specialized enforcement teams to identify and investigate doctors engaged in suspect prescribing.
