J Leg Med. 2023 Jan-Jun;43(1-2):3-18. doi: 10.1080/01947648.2024.2338057. Epub 2024 Apr 22.
Some stakeholders called on medical boards to sanction physicians for spreading misinformation during COVID-19 and discussing off-label medications. In 2022, California passed AB 2098, which classifies physician dissemination of misinformation as unprofessional conduct subject to discipline by the state medical board. This article describes the purpose and function of state medical boards, the law relating to off-label prescribing, and why using medical boards to discipline physicians for discussing controversial opinions exceeds the traditional role of state medical boards. Though physicians do have a duty to provide accurate information to the public, defining misinformation is difficult and poses five distinct problems. Although California's law was repealed, this article asserts that disciplining physicians for disseminating misinformation could pose Constitutional concerns, hinder physicians' ability to practice medicine, or suppress information that is important to the public interest.
一些利益相关者呼吁医疗委员会对在 COVID-19 期间传播错误信息和讨论未经批准的药物的医生进行制裁。2022 年，加利福尼亚州通过了 AB 2098，该法案将医生传播错误信息归类为不专业行为，可由州医疗委员会进行纪律处分。本文描述了州医疗委员会的目的和职能、与标签外处方相关的法律，以及为什么使用医疗委员会来惩戒因讨论有争议的观点而违反职业道德的医生超出了州医疗委员会的传统角色。尽管医生有向公众提供准确信息的责任，但定义错误信息是困难的，并且存在五个明显的问题。尽管加利福尼亚州的法律已被废除，但本文认为，因传播错误信息而惩戒医生可能会引发宪法问题，妨碍医生行医的能力，或压制对公众利益重要的信息。
