IAMRA
IAMRA Begins Pilot Test of System to Improve Sharing of Licensing and Disciplinary Information Globally
The International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) has announced that it has begun pilot testing a system that will allow for the proactive sharing of licensing and disciplinary information among its members.
IAMRA reports that it has received requests in recent years from members wishing to share information about individuals who have been disciplined in one jurisdiction and are thought likely to seek registration in another, or who have sought licensing using fraudulent means — but that up to now it hasn't had an effective means of responding to these requests.
A particular challenge for the working group, according to IAMRA, has been in developing a system and protocols that are suitable for use by its diverse membership.
In response, IAMRA has been working to develop a mechanism that allows such data sharing to occur. Leading the effort is IAMRA's Physician Information Exchange (PIE) Working Group, which was formally established in 2007.
The first phase of pilot testing of a new system of information-sharing is now under way, with participation from the Australian Healthcare Practitioner Regulation Agency, the FSMB, and the UK's General Medical Council. Once this initial phase of testing is completed, the pilot will be expanded to include additional organizations currently represented on the PIE Working Group. Eventually the system will be made available to all IAMRA members.
The new data-sharing tool developed by the working group — known as the IAMRA Data Sharing System — will enable medical regulatory authorities to upload relevant information about physicians who have been disciplined or have engaged in fraudulent practices.
Medical regulatory authorities will have no obligation to post to the system, according to IAMRA. Those that do so will post information according to their own data-sharing laws and policies, and will be responsible for removing or updating the information provided. Members will be provided with regular alerts to notify them that the system has been updated.
The PIE Working Group continues to identify strategies for removing barriers to sharing licensure/registration and disciplinary/fitness to practice information between jurisdictions, and to develop new initiatives that will support proactive information sharing.
“While we are proceeding with caution, we are hopeful that the system will be available for use by all IAMRA members by 2018,” said IAMRA Chair Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP, who also serves as CEO and President of the FSMB.
To find out more about the Physician Information Working Group, please contact the IAMRA Secretariat at [email protected].
Source: IAMRA website news item, accessed June 30, 2017
IAMRA Adds New Members
IAMRA has announced the addition of several new partners and members, including:
Partner Organizations:Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Medical Association
State of Maine (U.S.) Board of Licensure
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Canada
IAMRA currently has 110 members from 47 countries.
Source: IAMRA website news item, accessed June 30, 2017
Global Conference on Medical Regulation Slated for Dubai
IAMRA has announced that its 13th International Conference on Medical Regulation will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates October 6-9, 2018. The event will be hosted in partnership with Dubai Health Authority.
During IAMRA's biennial conference, regulators from all over the world convene to develop policy and share information and best practices in medical regulation. To learn more about the 2018 conference, please visit www.iamra.org.
Source: IAMRA website news item, accessed June 30, 2017
Ireland
Irish Health Care Organizations Develop Guidance on Controlled Substances
The Medical Council and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland have announced that they are working collaboratively to develop guidance on issues of joint concern related to controlled substances for both medical practitioners and pharmacists in that country.
The first jointly developed guide to be offered by the two organizations is titled “Safe Prescribing and Dispensing of Controlled Drugs,” offering guidance on a wide range of topics related to the safe prescribing of opioids and other drugs.
The guide includes suggestions intended to help physicians and pharmacists work more closely together to identify risk factors and high-risk patients as they prescribe and dispense medications.
The new guidance can be viewed at http://thepsi.ie/Libraries/Consultations/PSI_MC_Joint_Guidance_on_Controlled_Drugs.s_b.ashx.
Source: Medical Council of Ireland website announcement, accessed June 30, 2017
United Kingdom
Heavy Workloads are an Issue for Many Physicians in Training in the UK, Surveys Show
More than half of all physicians in training in the UK say they work beyond their regular hours at least once a week, and more than 20 percent say their work patterns regularly leave them deprived of sleep, according to recent General Medical Council (GMC) national training surveys.
The GMC, which regulates the practice of medicine in the UK, published the initial findings from its annual UK-wide surveys of more than 53,000 physicians in training and more than 24,000 senior physicians who act as trainers.
“Workload issues, and the impact they can have on doctors' education and training, remain a persistent and troubling issue,” said GMC Chief Executive Charlie Massey. “Tiredness and fatigue can impair decision-making, and so can impact on patients as well as the doctors themselves.”
“It is important that education providers do what they can protect the quality of training and the well being of doctors, using the results of this year's surveys to target their efforts,” he added.
The national training surveys were open between March and May of 2017, and achieved response rates of 98% for physicians in training and 53% for trainers.
The GMC is now analyzing the results of the surveys, to see how trends are reflected and differ across specialties and locations, and will publish a more detailed report, based on its findings, later in the year.
To learn more about the survey, please visit www.gmc-uk.org.
Source: GMC news release, July 4, 2017
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