{"id":1494543,"date":"2022-05-27T11:59:59","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T15:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1494543"},"modified":"2022-05-27T12:00:16","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T16:00:16","slug":"california-to-adopt-medical-misinformation-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-to-adopt-medical-misinformation-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"California to Adopt \u201cMedical Misinformation Bill\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-to-adopt-medical-misinformation-bill%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1494543&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-california\">California<\/a> Legislature is poised to pass <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB2098\">Assembly Bill 2098<\/a>, described as a \u201cmedical misinformation bill.\u201d If passed, the new law would prohibit doctors from freely providing medical advice and treating their patients if those practices run counter to the official state sanctioned position.<\/p>\n<p>In April 2020, the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs, the California State Board of Pharmacy, and the Medical Board of California issued a statement (<a href=\"https:\/\/pharmacy.ca.gov\/about\/news_release\/improper_prescribing.pdf\">pdf<\/a>) regarding the \u201cimproper prescribing of medications related to treatment of Novel Coronavirus,\u201d such as hydroxychloroquine, warning that \u201cinappropriately prescribing or dispensing medications constitutes unprofessional conduct in California.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On June 29, 2021, the Federation of State Medical Boards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsmb.org\/advocacy\/news-releases\/fsmb-spreading-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-may-put-medical-license-at-risk\/\">issued a warning<\/a>, stating that \u201cPhysicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In August 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci said there was no evidence that ivermectin works, and that it\u2019s more likely to cause harm. In December 2021, the Food and Drug Administration\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">issued a warning<\/a>\u00a0headlined, \u201cWhy You Should Not Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/t-ivermectin\">Ivermectin<\/a> to Treat or Prevent COVID-19.\u201d In an updated April 29, 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov\/therapies\/antiviral-therapy\/ivermectin\/\">report<\/a>, the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel said it \u201crecommends against\u00a0the use of\u00a0ivermectin\u00a0for the treatment of COVID-19, except in clinical trials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Should AB 2098 become law, doctors who prescribe medications not approved by the state or who claim unsanctioned drugs are effective would see their licenses revoked and face strict penalties and disciplinary actions by the Medical Board of California.<\/p>\n<p>In short, AB 2098 would designate the dissemination of information not approved by the state related to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes \u201cCOVID-19,\u201d as\u00a0misinformation or disinformation, which constitutes unprofessional conduct.<\/p>\n<p>One physician, Dr. Syed Haider, has already been reported to four state medical boards by pharmacists he says \u201cdon\u2019t like filling ivermectin prescriptions.\u201d He has also been forced to retain a lawyer to protect his medical license.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4491018\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/05\/25\/Dr.-Haider.jpg\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4491018\" src=\"https:\/\/img.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2022\/05\/25\/Dr.-Haider-600x600.jpg\" alt=\"(Courtesy of Dr. Haider)\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" \/><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a> Dr. Syed Haider (Courtesy of Haider)<\/figure>\n<p>Since December 2020\u2014after realizing that the United States had offshored almost all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-countries\/articles\/2019-10-01\/commentary-us-reliance-on-china-for-generic-drugs-is-a-security-threat#:~:text=The%20offshoring%20of%20the%20American%20drug%20supply%20to,about%20%E2%80%93%20to%20become%20contaminated%20and%20endanger%20patients.\">prescription drug manufacturing<\/a> to unfriendly nations like China\u2014Haider has focused on the prevention and treatment of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/giving-the-right-name-to-the-virus-causing-a-worldwide-pandemic-2_3277200.html\">CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus<\/a> through his online initiative\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mygotodoc.com\/about\">mygotodoc.com<\/a>, by providing easy online access to <a href=\"https:\/\/drsyedhaider.com\/?_ga=2.111084677.12605406.1653408529-850950741.1653408529\">off-label prescriptions<\/a> such as ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, budesonide, and protocols for COVID, long COVID, and vaccine injuries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was such a huge demand for it, it just took over my life,\u201d Haider, who used to be \u201ca hospital doctor,\u201d told The Epoch Times. \u201cThen, the pandemic hit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In early February 2020, Haider contracted the CCP virus at a hospital that he was working in. His work as a temporary traveling physician across many different medical practices and hospitals was coming to an end and he thought that, with the pandemic outbreak, there would be plenty of work. However, although he had applied for a position at a hospital in New York, Haider had begun to hear about online prescribing, and he started to work through an unnamed online telemedicine provider in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce I heard about ivermectin and off-label prescribing, people would show up on the online website looking for help with COVID and I would try to tell them about off-label medications,\u201d Haider recalled. \u201cAnd they would just give me a blank stare. Aside from hydroxychloroquine, they had never heard about drugs like\u00a0ivermectin. They thought I was crazy. I think the thought was, \u2018If this stuff works, why haven\u2019t I heard about it on CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Haider, what really changed things for him was when he saw the Dec. 8, 2020, testimony of Dr. Pierre Kory (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsgac.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/Testimony-Kory-2020-12-08.pdf\">pdf<\/a>) before Sen. Ron Johnson and the Homeland Security Committee Meeting regarding early treatment of COVID-19, \u201cnot only as an individual physician,\u201d but also on behalf of his non-profit organization, the Front-Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough we, like many, are extremely encouraged by the apparent successes in developing effective vaccines,\u201d Kory said, \u201cwe also are dismayed at the near complete absence of guidance and research on effective early, at-home, or preventative treatment options apart from vaccines\u2014a reality we find unconscionable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was \u201cwith great pride as well as significant optimism\u201d that Kory reported that his group, \u201cled by Professor Paul E. Marik,\u201d had \u201cdeveloped a highly effective protocol for preventing and early treatment of COVID-19,\u201d and that \u201cemerging publications\u201d had provided \u201cconclusive data on the profound efficacy of the anti-parasite, anti-viral drug, anti-inflammatory agent called ivermectin in all stages of the disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was real clear in his face and in his demeanor that he was really upset and very sincere and it went viral on the internet,\u201d Haider recalled. \u201cThen, people started hearing from family and friends that they had used ivermectin and it made a difference for them, and people went online to find doctors who would prescribe it. At that point, things got very busy and I had to basically start my own website and prescribing it online to patients. Over the next year and a half, things really ramped up. More and more people had begun hearing about ivermectin, so more and more people were looking for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the website, \u201cmygotodoc makes it easy to safeguard you and your family, serving three important needs the wider medical community tends to ignore: (1) emergency antibiotics to have on hand in case disaster strikes and prescription drugs are unavailable, (2) 1-month backup supplies of your regular medication, and (3) safe off-label COVID protocols designed for prevention and treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMyself and other doctors from all over the world have had incredible results with off-label protocols including ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, budesonide, and a number of other protocols,\u201d Haider explained. \u201cWhat you hear over and over again is about the successful treatment of 5,000, 7,000, or 10,000 patients and maybe one death. They are shocking numbers compared to what you\u2019re hearing with conventional treatments the CDC or FDA are recommending and what hospitals and other doctors are doing that are not using off-label protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Personally, Haider has treated over 50,000 COVID-related patients, many of them elderly. He said that among his patients, there have been zero deaths and only five hospitalizations. Despite his success, under California\u2019s proposed Bill AB 2098, doctor\u2019s using similar methods would have the state interfere and persecute them for providing independent care.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike a lot of other doctors around the world, I\u2019ve just been trying to raise awareness of this,\u201d Haider explained. \u201cBut, like a lot of doctors in America, I\u2019ve gotten letters from the American Medical Association, the Federal State Medical Board warning me that my license is at risk if I speak out about vaccines or if I spread misinformation or if I prescribe ivermectin. I\u2019ve had pushback from pharmacists, insurance companies, from medical boards in multiple states, that have sent me complaints and asked me to explain why I am conducting experimental trials on patients and why I am prescribing ivermectin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Prior to all of this, Haider had worked for over 10 years as a trained hospital physician in\u00a0internal medicine and had \u201cnever had a single complaint from anyone on anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, it was a very strange experience over the past couple of years to see what has happened to medical providers, including pharmacists,\u201d Haider explained. \u201cPharmacists were pushing back at us because they were getting letters from their pharmacist boards warning them not to dispense it. \u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Haider, dissenting voices have been muzzled and censored from the very onset of the pandemic and they are now being threatened with the loss of their medical licenses. Because of this, Haider has had to retain an attorney.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very stressful to have to reply to a medical board,\u201d he explained, adding that it\u2019s a \u201cvery opaque process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t know who is going to see it or review it. You don\u2019t know whether or not they\u2019re friendly to what you are doing or if they disagree with what you are doing, and it\u2019s not like a court of law where you can bring in witnesses in your defense. They just make a decision and sometimes they don\u2019t even explain to you the reason behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Worse than that, Haider said his experience felt like they were trying to get doctors like himself to \u201cget tripped up and to say the wrong things\u201d and to incriminate themselves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the medical boards accused me of conducting medical experimental trials,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like they don\u2019t know I\u2019m prescribing off-label. We do off-label prescribing all the time in medicine. About 40 percent of prescribing is off-label and it doesn\u2019t fall under the classification of \u2018experiment.\u2019 It\u2019s not an unauthorized experimental medical trial. But they use that wording to try to get me to defend myself against that attack. If I had foolishly replied to them and tried to defend myself against their terminology, I would have incriminated myself because I can\u2019t run an experiment without having a review board, authorization, and specific consent forms for experimental drug trials.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Haider reflected on how during the current shift to vilify ivermectin that \u201ceveryone seems to forget that, during the past six months, they had the same problems with prescribing\u00a0hydroxychloroquine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can send a\u00a0hydroxychloroquine prescription to any pharmacist and they\u2019ll fill it without question,\u201d he said. \u201cBut now, they won\u2019t fill ivermectin. It almost seems political rather than medical. It\u2019s not scientific. There\u2019s something else going on and it\u2019s very strange. We can now prescribe things through pharmacies they used to vilify. But because our entire medical establishment has now decided that ivermectin must be killed, pharmacists now have a problem with ivermectin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Haider, the purpose of what he described as the \u201cmedical misinformation bill\u201d in front of the California Legislature is to prevent doctors from saying things that the state deems to be disinformation. \u201cThat,\u201d he said, \u201cbegs the question of who decides what is the truth?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4210589\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-1237662822-1200x800-1-1200x800-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy wp-image-4210589 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/themes\/eet\/images\/white.png\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-1237662822-1200x800-1-1200x800-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases testifies, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 11, 2022\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4210589 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-1237662822-1200x800-1-1200x800-1.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases testifies, during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 11, 2022\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/noscript><\/figcaption><\/a> Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 11, 2022 (Shawn Thew\/Getty Images)<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIn any scientific field or endeavor, there is no absolute truth,\u201d he explained, asserting that \u201cDr. Fauci is not science, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2021\/11\/anthony-fauci-i-am-the-science\/\">he claims to be<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe does not have the last word on what scientific truth is. We\u2019re always getting closer to the truth, but we have never arrived at a final truth in medicine. So, there always has to be room for debate. Doctors have to be able to take multiple different sides of an argument. So physicians have to be able to hash things out among themselves and to prescribe off-label. You can\u2019t single out one disease and say, \u2018This is off limits for the way we\u2019ve conducted medicine for the past 100 years.\u2019 Patients should be able to consult with their physician, discuss treatments and risks, and make decisions without the interference of the government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn nearly every hospital and clinic in the United States right now, it\u2019s considered to be some form of misinformation or disinformation to say anything other than the vaccines are safe and effective,\u201d Haider noted. \u201cTo say there are any risks associated with the vaccines is claimed to be\u00a0misinformation or disinformation, and the working definition of\u00a0misinformation or disinformation seems to be anything that would prevent someone from submitting to or doubting the FDA and CDC guidelines and recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This bill would affect any doctor licensed in California, including Haider.<\/p>\n<p>If AB 2098 becomes law, any doctor who prescribes ivermectin\u2014even at the request of their patient\u2014can lose their license to practice medicine in California.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you lose your license in one state and you have licenses to practice in other states, you have to report that you lost your license in California to every other state you are licensed in, and then every medical board will start asking questions like, \u2018Why did you lose your license in California.\u2019 Once the snowball starts rolling, depending on what the medical board thinks about the reasoning behind the loss of your license in California, you can lose all of your licenses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of the pandemic, Haider noted how the country has been further compromised by unprecedented delays in supply lines. We no longer have domestic manufacturing of almost any medications, including and especially antibiotics. In fact, China has captured over 97 percent of the U.S. market for antibiotics. In the setting of runaway inflation, food shortages, and soaring gas prices, it\u2019s easy to imagine an America where pharmacy shelves are bare, or with limited stock and huge price increases.<\/p>\n<p>If AB 2098 becomes law, the precedent that would be set is California gets to become the proving grounds for new legislation, not just in medicine, but in everything, Haider said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce you make this inroad in violation of physician autonomy on how to treat COVID for their patients, that could just be the beginning,\u201d Haider warned. \u201cWhat about after that? Do you go after a doctor\u2019s ability to prescribe off-label for anything? Do we have to be restricted to what has been FDA approved for any indication? What happens when we don\u2019t have an on-label drug for the treatment of an indication? What then? How do we treat our patients then?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Epoch Times has reached out to California Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Cupertino), sponsor of the Assembly version of the bill, as well as the Medical Board of California.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"one_author_block round\">\n<div class=\"top_row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/author-patricia-tolson\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Patricia-Tolson.jpg\" alt=\"Patricia Tolson\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bio\">Patricia Tolson, an award-winning national investigative reporter with 20 years of experience, has worked for such news outlets as Yahoo!, U.S. News, and The Tampa Free Press. With The Epoch Times, Patricia\u2019s in-depth investigative coverage of human interest stories, election policies, education, school boards, and parental rights has achieved international exposure. Send her your story ideas: <a class=\"linkified\" href=\"mailto:patricia.tolson@epochtimes.us\">patricia.tolson@epochtimes.us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The California Legislature is poised to pass Assembly Bill 2098, described as a \u201cmedical misinformation bill.\u201d If passed, the new law would prohibit doctors from freely providing medical advice and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":1894753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1494543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_finder_url":"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/california-poised-to-adopt-medical-misinformation-bill-targeting-alternative-covid-19-protocols_4490626.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1494543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1494543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1494543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1894753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1494543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1494543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1494543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}