Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Issues Licensing Information

The number of newly licensed physicians in Alabama grew slightly from 2016 to 2017, with 1,016 applicants for licensure approved last year, according to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Medical Licensure Commission 2017 Annual Report. A total of 107 physician assistants (PAs) were licensed, along with physicians.

In 2017, the Board also issued 299 Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificates (QACSC) and 210 Limited Purpose Schedule II Permits (LPSP) to Physician Assistants (PA) and Advanced Practice Nurses (CRNP, CNM).

As a participant in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, the Board also noted that it issued 33 medical licenses through the Compact in 2017.

The Board reported that 10,329 physicians are now actively practicing in the state.

Source: Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Medical Licensure Commission Newsletter and Report, April 2018

New Rules Outline Podiatric Physicians' PA Supervising Authority in Oregon

The Oregon Medical Board has implemented new rules that help clarify the parameters of Oregon podiatric physicians' recently expanded role in supervising physician assistants (PAs).

Podiatric physicians received authority to supervise PAs with the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 831 in 2017. The Board's new roles now include podiatric physicians in the definition of “supervising physician,” along with medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs). A podiatric physician must become a Board-approved supervising physician before supervising PAs.

Oregon PAs may provide medical services, including prescribing controlled substances, that are:

  • Delegated by the supervising physician to the PA

  • Within the scope of practice and competency of the PA

  • Within the scope of practice and competency of the supervising physician

  • Provided under the supervision of the supervising physician

  • Generally described in, and in compliance with, the practice agreement

  • Subject to informed consent obtained by the PA (if required)

Source: Oregon Medical Board Report, Winter 2018

Virginia Legislature Expands Treatment Possibilities for Cannabidiol and THC-A Oils

Physicians in Virginia will now be able to prescribe cannabidiol and THC-A oils for a wider variety of medical conditions, thanks to a new law passed by the state's General Assembly.

In 2016, the General Assembly passed a law that authorized physicians to issue a certification for patients with intractable epilepsy to be treated with cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil. This year, the General Assembly expanded the treatment possibilities with such oils by passing HB 1251/SB 726, a law that authorizes a physician to issue a certification “for treatment or to alleviate the symptoms of a diagnosed condition or disease determined by the practitioner to benefit from such use.”

Physicians will be required to complete a certification form, which will be given to the patient, parent or guardian, and placed in the patient's medical record. The Virginia Board of Medicine will make the certification forms available at its website.

Source: Virginia Board of Medicine Board Briefs #85, April 2018