Dear Colleagues and Fellow Citizens,
It is my great pleasure to bring you warm holiday greetings from the Board of Medicine, and give you another update on what every practicing physician needs to know. It appears to me that there is some apprehension in many physicians about the Board’s work and changes in Florida Statutes. As mentioned before, our website is an excellent source of information, and below, I will summarize the key areas each physician should be familiar with.
1. You must update your practitioner profile within 15 days of any change.
You can do this by going online to http://www.floridahealth.gov/licensing-and-regulation/index.html and clicking on Practitioner Profile.
2. Do not pre-sign prescriptions. – This is a violation of the law.
3. You must keep charts on the family, friends, and employees that you treat.
Prescribing to your family members, friends and employees is not against the law. However, you are required to maintain medical records just like you would any other patient. You are not permitted to prescribe controlled substances to yourself under any circumstance.
4. Internet prescribing
Florida has a rule – Rule 64B8-9.014, Florida Administrative Code – that outlines acceptable telemedicine practice in Florida.
5. Patient Boundaries
The patient-physician relationship is built on mutual trust. Sexual misconduct in the practice of medicine is prohibited by law. The Board of Medicine has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.
6. Relocate practice
There are steps you must follow when closing or relocating your office practice. You can find these steps in Rule 64B8-10.002, Florida Administrative Code.
7. Help for Impaired practitioners
The Professionals Resource Network (PRN) is available to help physicians as well as applicants for licensure and medical students. PRN can be contacted at (800) 888-8776.
8. Pain-Management and Controlled Substances
There have been a lot of changes to pain-management in Florida.
• Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (E-Forcse) – in effect now
– If you dispense controlled substances, you must register
– May use to look up patient before prescribing
– Register online at www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa
• Register by January 1, 2012 on your profile as a controlled substance prescriber if you prescribe controlled substances for chronic nonmalignant pain [s. 456.44, FS]
• Must use counterfeit proof prescriptions pads from approved vendors for all controlled substance prescriptions
• No dispensing of Schedule II and III controlled substances
• New laws for pain-management clinics [s. 458.3265, FS]
9. At license renewal
• Florida physicians must renew their license every two years and can do it ONLINE at www.doh.state.fl.us/mqaservices
• To renew a Florida license, physicians are required to obtain the required CME, attest to financial responsibility coverage, and complete the Physician Workforce Survey
• Recent reduction of renewal fee to $391 (includes background check fee and unlicensed activity fee)
10. CME requirements
You are required to complete 40 hours CME every two years. Of the 40 hours, two hours must be in the prevention of medical errors. Every six years, the 40 hours will include the two hours in the prevention of medical errors as well as a 2-hour course in domestic violence. Maintain your CME certificates for two licensing bienniums in case you are audited.
STAY IN TOUCH
Join our Mailman System (Interested Parties List). It’s a simple way to stay informed on changes in the laws and rules and updates from the Board. You will receive up to the minute information. To subscribe, log on to www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/medical. Once there, follow these quick and easy steps:
• Click on Interested Parties (Mailman) in the blue box in the upper left-hand corner
• Enter your email address
• Click on Subscribe
I would like to congratulate Dr. Jason Rosenberg, Chair, Dr. Zach Zachariah, Vice-Chair and Dr. Nabil El Sanadi, First Vice-Chair for 2012. We are honored to have these talented individuals to the serve as Board’s leadership.
Medicine is a profession that demands the best in us. There are close to 60,000 physicians holding active licenses from the State of Florida. Millions of Floridians depend, everyday, on your labor and commitment for their wellbeing. I would just like to remind each of you to be familiar with the laws and rules affecting your practice of medicine in Florida. The citizens of the Sunshine State need you, and on behalf of the Board, we truly appreciate your good work and dedication.
Have a Happy and safe holiday season,
George Thomas, MD, FACC
Chair, Florida Board of Medicine
