State Member Board Briefs

The Arkansas State Medical Board has published its 2011 Annual Report, showing its licensing statistics and a summary of Board proceedings in 2011.

A total of 8,918 physicians are licensed in Arkansas, including both medical doctors (M.D.) and doctors of osteopathy (D.O.). The state licensed 530 new physicians in 2011. It also licensed a number of other health care professionals, including 73 new occupational therapists 46 occupational therapy assistants, 39 physician assistants, 111 respiratory care therapists, and 1 radiologist assistant. A total of 1,187 occupational therapists are licensed in the state, along with 295 occupational therapy assistants, 217 physician assistants, 1,844 respiratory care therapists, 2 radiologist assistants and 4 radiology practitioner assistants.

In 2011 the Board handled 480 individual discussions and issues, broken down into 354 complaints (including investigation and other issues involving licensed practitioners) and 126 other issues.

The Board levied nine license suspensions, two license revocations, five reprimands and seven consent orders during the year.

Source: Arkansas State Medical Board Newsletter, Winter 2012

In an effort to streamline the process of applying for hospital and/or clinic privileges, membership on insurance panels and managed care entities and other health care settings, the Oklahoma Medical Board is promoting its OSBMLS Subscriber Services.

Oklahoma physicians can streamline the application and/or credentialing process if the entity they wish to join is affiliated with OSBMLS Subscriber Services.

Currently more than 60 hospitals, clinics, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and others pay a nominal fee of $60 a month to access, with physician approval, the Board's Subscriber Services database, according to the Board.

Some organizations use OSBMLS Subscriber Services as a primary credentialing source, others to supplement existing programs.

To learn more about how the Board structures its Board's Subscriber Services, visit www.okmedical-board.org.

Source: Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision Issues and Answers, Winter 2012

The West Virginia Board of Osteopathy, recognizing that obesity is a significant health concern for an increasing number of West Virginia citizens, has proposed rule modifications in an effort to give physicians new “tools and methods” to deal with the issue.

The current Osteopathy Rule, §24-1-18.1.30, prohibits the use of certain stimulant drugs in West Virginia for the treatment of obesity or for the goal of weight loss for more than two weeks at a time. The description of the rule only addresses Schedule II controlled substances, but the drugs most commonly used for this purpose are listed on Schedule IV in the West Virginia Controlled Substances Act. The Board moved forward to change the rule to include all sympathomimetic amine drugs, which are controlled substances.

Based upon comments received, comparison of rules from other states and publications in medical literature, the Board said it “chooses to modify its rule to require careful screening of prospective patients, establishment of comprehensive weight loss plans, regular monitoring of patients' health and weight, and limited periods of use to prevent the patients' tolerance to the drugs involved. Drugs approved by the FDA, such as Phentermine, may only be used for the treatment of obesity when they are a component of the treatment regimen listed above. The patient's chart must clearly document that the patient has had no adverse effects from the drug and that they continue to lose weight and remain healthy for a period of sustained use longer than twelve weeks.”

The rule is scheduled to be presented for approval during the 2012 Legislative Session.

Source: West Virginia Board of Osteopathy Newsletter, Autumn 2011

The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board has announced that during the course of the coming year it will be revising Wis. Admin. Code Chapter 10, which includes the administrative rules relating to professional conduct.

According to the Board Chair Sheldon A. Wasserman, M.D., “this chapter of the rules has not been revised or updated in decades.” The process of making changes to Wis. Admin. Code Chapter 8, which deals with physician assistants, has also been launched, according to the Board.

One of the most significant changes expected during the upcoming year, according to the Board, is an increase in the number of physician assistants a physician may concurrently supervise from two to four. Work on revisions to both rules is under way.

Source: Wisconsin Medical Examining Board Med Board Newsletter, February 2012