Over the last few years substantial momentum has been steadily building on both the administrative and criminal fronts against physicians whose practice primarily or substantially involves pain management and the pharmacists who file their prescriptions. In many instances, this governmental clamp down is fully justified as every pharmacist and physician familiar with this practice
Anonymous Complaint Process at the Texas Medical Board
Discipline at the Texas Medical Board (Board) is a complaint driven process- meaning that every investigation opened by the Board’s investigators results from the filing of a complaint. The Board receives roughly 6,000 complaints each year, and they come from various sources, including patients, subsequent providers, competitors, former employees, and even the Board itself. Essentially, anyone
The Texas Medical Board’s Corrective Order Explained
In 2010, the Texas Medical Board (Board) implemented a new disciplinary mechanism- the Corrective Order. Briefly, a Corrective Order is a disciplinary Order that is offered to physician licensees before any other informal proceedings take place, with the apparent goal of settling those cases quickly, and in lieu of proceeding with an Informal Settlement Conference (ISC).
Corrective Orders are not offered in every legal case, but rather at the discretion of the Board’s Quality Assurance Committee (QA), which is made up of a mix of Board members, District Review Committee members, and Board attorneys and other staff. Typically, Corrective Orders are offered in cases where the alleged violations rise above the ministerial discipline of the Fast-track Order, but where the factual issues are straightforward enough that QA feels they do not necessarily require a hearing.
If the licensee signs the Corrective Order, the ISC is taken off the schedule, and the Order goes to the full Board for approval and resolution. If the licensee declines the Corrective Order, then it is taken off the table and the case is looked at afresh at the ISC. Typically, the licensee is given 20 days to decide whether to sign it or not.
Each time a Corrective Order is signed, the Board benefits in several ways. Each signed Corrective Order helps the Board’s disciplinary numbers and reinforces the viewpoint that they are actively and successfully protecting the public’s health and welfare. Additionally, each Corrective Order that is signed means that the Board will not have to devote further resources to the investigation and informal settlement process which involves the development of a case file by the TMB Staff attorneys and legal assistants. The benefit to the licensee is not always as clear cut.
Upon receipt of a Corrective Order, there are a number of things that should be considered before deciding either way on it.Continue Reading The Texas Medical Board’s Corrective Order Explained
Texas Medical Board Cancels Meeting Rescheduling All Applicants & Appearances
The Texas Medical Board (TMB) cancelled the appearance of all physician licensure candidates scheduled to appear before the Board’s Licensure Committee at its February 3 and February 4th meeting due to inclement weather. The applicants have been rescheduled until the April Board meeting. This will result in the scheduling of probably 40 to 50 applicants at
Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s Ability to Impose Discipline for Violations of Other States’ Law
Like most health licensing boards, the Texas State Board of Pharmacy possesses extensive authority to discipline pharmacists and pharmacies for violations of their enabling statute, the Texas Pharmacy Act. This includes criminal matters, negligent practice, fraud and deceit, suspected substance abuse/dependency, and anything the Board determines falls within the broad and ill-defined ambit of
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The Texas Board of Nursing has recently created and implemented a new, confidential procedure in which to resolve disciplinary investigations. Typically, the Nursing Practice Act limits the Board’s discretion to resolve a case through anything other than a public Order. In a welcome innovation, the Board now has the authority to settle a restricted
One Rule to Catch Them All: Licensing Board’s Use of Unprofessional Conduct
As a general rule, licensing Boards such as the Texas Medical Board, Texas Board of Nursing and Texas State Board of Pharmacy are prohibited from exceeding the powers granted to them by the Legislature. The Legislature passes enabling statutes that create the licensing Boards and circumscribe their jurisdiction. The Boards may then pass administrative rules expounding
What Every LPC-Intern Should Know: TSBEPC and What is Considered to be an Independent Practice
My law firm has recently represented several LPC-Supervisors and LPC-Interns before the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (TSBEPC) in reference to avoiding or defending against charges that a LPC-Intern is operating an independent counseling practice while earning the 3,000 supervised experience hours necessary for full licensure. The recurrent problem has been that
TMB Licensure Committee Hears Record Number of Applicants at August Board Meeting
The Licensure Committee of the Texas Medical Board (TMB) met at its last scheduled meeting on Thursday August 26, 2010. The Committee heard approximately 39 applicants who were on the agenda in conjunction with their applications for a full Texas medical license / physician registration or a physician-in-training permit (PIT). Due to the size of the agenda
New TMB Law on Pain Management Clinic Certfiication Goes Into Effect on September 1st, 2010
In its last session the Texas Legislature passed a new law concerning Pain Management Clinics. The law, which becomes effective on September 1, 2010, makes it illegal to own / operate a Pain Management Clinic in Texas without first obtaining a certificate from the Texas Medical Board. Although it appears benign enough at first