Las Vegans have been a little jumpy — and rightfully so — since public health officials revealed that a number of endoscopy clinics re-used syringes and medication vials, thereby infecting at least seven patients with hepatitis‑C.

Nevada’s physician-licensing board has proved largely inept in this matter, and a little too cozy with the profession it’s supposed to regulate. Nevertheless, some want to give the licensing board more power.

Here’s an interview I did on Las Vegas 1’s Face to Face with Jon Ralston. I argued that licensing laws don’t add much in the way of patient protection, and instead block innovations that would improve patient safety. (The first interviewee provides lots of good information about the crisis, but if you want to skip to my interview, it begins about 12 minutes into the program.)