A Tougher Bill, Mandating Checks to Fight Opioid Abuse, Cycles Through Assembly

A bill that would require California's doctors to consult a drug-monitoring database before prescribing controlled substances has garnered broad support from state and national organizations invested in decreasing opioid abuse. The California Medical Board voted unanimously to support Senate Bill 482 in May 2015, a few months after Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, introduced it. In voicing its support, the board joined organizations such as Consumer Watchdog, the Consumer Federation of California, the AFL-CIO and the Utility Workers Union of America. The Senate voted in favor...