Consumer Watchdog launched a billboard publicizing a new toll-free hotline, 1-844-DOCS-DUI, calling on the public and physicians to report suspected drug and alcohol abuse by doctors. "The California Medical Board has estimated that 18% of doctors will have a drug or alcohol problem during their careers, yet California has no system to identify doctors who abuse substances. This hotline will give the public a place to report concerns about impaired doctors to protect patients and save lives," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. A review of six years of the California Medical Board's physician disciplinary records reveals that one in every eight involved drug or alcohol abuse by a doctor.

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