STATE MEMBER BOARD BRIEFS

Illinois Hosts First Meeting of Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission

The State of Illinois and Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) hosted the first meeting of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission on October 27–28 in Chicago. During the two-day meeting, the new Commission established an administrative framework for the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which offers a streamlined licensing process for physicians interested in practicing medicine in multiple states.

THE COMMISSION CONSISTS OF TWO VOTING REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH STATE THAT HAS ENACTED THE COMPACT. AS ADDITIONAL STATES ENACT THE COMPACT, NEW REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE ADDED.

Illinois is among twelve states that have enacted the Compact, while several additional states have introduced legislation authorizing it. The Commission consists of two voting representatives from each state that has enacted the Compact. As additional states enact the compact, new representatives will be added to the Commission.

During its inaugural meeting in Chicago, Commission members adopted temporary bylaws, appointed committees and elected the following officers:

• Chair: Ian Marquand (Montana)

• Vice Chair: Jon Thomas, MD (Minnesota)

• Secretary: Diana Shepard, CMBE (West Virginia)

• Treasurer: Brian Zachariah, MD (Illinois)

The Compact establishes a voluntary licensing pathway for physicians, eliminating the need to apply separately for a license in more than one state. By significantly streamlining the licensure process, the Compact is expected to expand access to health care — especially to patients in underserved areas of the country — and facilitate new modes of health care delivery, such as telemedicine.

“As physician shortages persist in Illinois, and throughout the nation, it is important that we utilize new methods to foster the sharing of our most vital resources,” said Bryan Schneider, DFPR Secretary. “The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact creates a new avenue to advance the licensing of physicians who seek to practice medicine in multiple states. The compact also bolsters our ability to protect the public through the sharing of investigative and discipline information, something that is currently not allowed.”

For more information on Interstate Compact, please call (202) 463-4000 or visit www.licenseportability.org.

Sources: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (DFPR) news release, October 8, 2015; Federation of State Medical Boards news release, October 30, 2015

New North Carolina Law Requires Continuing Education in Controlled Substances

The recently approved North Carolina budget appropriations act includes a new requirement for licensed physicians and physician assistants and other licensed medical professionals to complete at least one hour of the total continuing education hours required in controlled substances prescribing. The North Carolina Medical Board will consider the new law and discuss how to implement it at its January 2016 meeting.

Among the health professionals impacted by the new ruling are dentists, nurses, physicians and podiatrists. The newly required continuing education in North Carolina must include, but not be limited to, instruction on controlled substance prescribing practices and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management.

Source: North Carolina Medical Board website news item, October 5, 2015

Ohio Medical Board Publishes ‘Red Flag’ Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse

The State Medical Board of Ohio has created a list of “Red Flag” signs of prescription drug abuse and is urging health professionals in the state to be on the lookout for what it calls “potential drug-seeking behavior.” The signs are separated into three categories: Look, Listen and Check.

In the “Look” category, the Board suggests health professionals look for signs in patients such as appearing impaired or overly sedated during an office visit or exam, traveling with a group of other patients to the physician's office where all or most of the patients request controlled substance prescriptions, or traveling an abnormally long distance to the physician's office.

IN THE ‘LOOK’ CATEGORY, THE BOARD SUGGESTS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS LOOK FOR SIGNS IN PATIENTS SUCH AS APPEARING IMPAIRED OR OVERLY SEDATED DURING AN OFFICE VISIT OR EXAM.

In the “Listen” category, the Board suggests health professionals listen for certain red flags when speaking with patients. Examples include comments that indicate they may be taking medication that was not prescribed to them, comments about sharing their prescription medications with friends or family members, or references to drugs by street name, color, or identifying marks.

In the “Check” category, the Board suggests that during their review of patient charts, medical histories and other information, health professionals should check for red flags, such as drug screen results that are inconsistent with drugs on the treatment plan, receiving abused drugs from multiple prescribers without clinical basis, and recurring visits to non-coordinated sites of care, such as emergency departments, urgent care facilities, or walk-in clinics to obtain reported drugs.

For the full list of prescription drug abuse red flags, and for more information on the State of Ohio's efforts to curb drug abuse, please visit the State Medical Board of Ohio's website at www.med.ohio.gov.

Source: State Medical Board of Ohio announcement, September 9, 2015.

Stimulant Policy Statement for ADD and ADHD Adopted By Rhode Island Board

The Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline has adopted a policy statement to provide guidance for physicians who treat older adolescents or adults with Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Titled “Considerations Regarding Pharmaceutical Stimulant Prescribing for Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD)/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adolescents and Adults,” the statement provides information regarding diversion of pharmaceutical stimulants and their misuse, as well as guidelines for prudent and thoughtful prescribing.

Prescribing stimulants for ADD/ADHD in Rhode Island's adolescent and adult populations is common. According to the Board, pharmaceutical stimulants prescriptions currently account for 1.3 million doses filled monthly by Rhode Islanders. Review of prescribing data from the Rhode Island Prescription Drug Monitoring Program reveals that in 2007, the total number of prescriptions for stimulants was higher for patients ages 18 and older than it was for patients who were younger than 18. This trend has continued since 2007, according to the Board, indicating that adult patients are being treated for ADD/ADHD more frequently, often with pharmaceutical stimulants.

The Board's guidelines include comprehensive information on ADD/ADHD diagnosis and patient care, along with background and steps that physicians can take to prevent prescription drug diversion.

The policy is available at http://www.health.ri.gov/publications/policies/Stimulants.pdf.

Source: Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline policy statement, Oct. 14, 2015

Wisconsin is Latest State to Enact Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

Wisconsin became the 12th state to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact after Governor Scott Walker signed the legislation into law December 14, joining a growing coalition of states across the nation that have joined the Compact.

Introduced as model legislation last fall by a group of state medical boards, the Compact is intended to expedite the licensing process for qualified physicians who want to obtain licenses in multiple states and jurisdictions.

Legislation in Wisconsin was authored by Wisconsin Representative Nancy VanderMeer (R–Tomah) and Senator Sheila Harsdorf (R–River Falls). The new law passed the Assembly by a vote of 95-1 and was passed by the Senate by a vote of 31-1. Gundersen Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System, Wisconsin Medical Society, and Wisconsin Hospital Association were among the many advocates for the Compact in Wisconsin.

By significantly streamlining the licensure process, the Compact is expected to expand access to health care and facilitate new modes of health care delivery, such as telemedicine. Wisconsin joins 11 other states in enacting the Compact this year, including Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

THE NEW LAW PASSED THE ASSEMBLY BY A VOTE OF 95-1 AND WAS PASSED BY THE SENATE BY A VOTE OF 31-1.

“We are proud that Wisconsin has joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact to ensure that all its patients have access to quality health care, while maintaining the highest level of patient protections,” said Dr. Kenneth B. Simons, Chairperson of the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board. “By facilitating medical license portability, the Compact will benefit both physicians and patients in Wisconsin and across the nation.”

For more information about the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, please visit www.licenseportability.org.

Source: Federation of State Medical Boards news release, Dec. 14, 2015