Doctors practicing under intoxication would face criminal charges under a proposed bill

Intro:	Doctors who are drunk while performing medical procedures would face criminal charges under a new bill.
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Wrap: The bill's sponsor Vicki Schneider says that a doctor should not be intoxicated while operating on a patient.

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Description: "I was shocked to discover that it is not a crime for a doctor to perform surgery while intoxicated."

Schneider introduced the bill in a house committee meeting on Monday.

She says the bill would make it a class B misdemeanor for an intoxicated physician or other licensed health care professional to perform a medical procedure.

Spokesperson for the Missouri State Medical Association Jeff Howell calls the legislation "unworkable." He says the bill requires a drug test at the operating room door.

No further action was taken on the bill.

From the State Capitol, I'm Kadee Brosseau.

Intro:	A newly proposed bill would make it a crime for doctors to be intoxicated when performing any medical procedure.
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Wrap: Paul Passanante, a medical malpractice attorney in St.Louis, told the House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety about an intoxicated doctor operating on his client.

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Description: "He actually underwent a random drug test on the day that he performed a colonoscopy on my client and he tested positive."

Representative Vicki Schneider introduced a bill that would make it a misdemeanor to practice any type of medicine while under the influence of alcohol and a felony if a patient is harmed.

Opponents say the bill is not practical and calls for too many medical personnel to be drug tested.

Changes to the bill will be discussed in upcoming meetings.

From the State Capitol, I'm Kadee Brosseau.

Intro:	What do you get when you cross a doctor and a bottle of Scotch? If the doctor is in the operating room, the answer is a class B misdemeanor.
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Wrap: Representative Vicki Schneider brought a bill before the House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety that would make it a crime to practice medicine while under the influence of alcohol.

Paul Passanante, a medical malpractice attorney in St.Louis, supports the bill.

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Description: If it's illegal to drive while intoxicated it sure ought to be illegal to perform something like surgery.

Opponent of the bill, Jeff Howell with the Missouri State Medical Association, called this particular bill "unworkable" and asked the committee to consider other options for solving this problem.

Committee chair Representative Rodney Schad said the bill will be discussed in upcoming meetings.

From the State Capitol, I'm Kadee Brosseau.

Intro:	Drunk doctors would face criminal charges if they practice medicine while intoxicated under a newly proposed bill.
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Wrap: A class B misdemeanor would await a doctor who performs medical procedures while intoxicated.

Representative Vicki Schneider proposed a bill that would charge doctors who do this with a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony if the patient is harmed.

While Jeff Howell, spokesperson for the Missouri State Medical Association, agrees that this is a problem that should be addressed. He opposes this specific bill.

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Description: "It pretty much requires some type of drug test at the operating room door. And not only does it apply to physicians but it casts a much wider net. It applies to any licensed health care professional."

No further action was taken on the bill.

From the State Capitol, I'm Kadee Brosseau.