Professional Licensing Matters & Related Regulatory Issues for Health Care Professionals
The Texas Medical Board receives about 6,000 complaints each year, and in an effort to resolve select “minor” violations of the Medical Practice Act (Act) more quickly, an administrative penalty order has been developed and put into use called the Fast-track Order (Fast-track).
Not every violation of the Act is eligible for a Fast-track. The…
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…
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…
Currently, physicians and physician assistants with a history of substance abuse, mental illness, or other medical conditions which could affect their ability to safely practice medicine have been eligible to receive a rehabilitation order from the Texas Medical Board. Pursuant to a set of specific criteria, physicians and PA’s with such issues are also…
Within the past three weeks my firm has represented two physicians whose licenses had been summarily revoked by the Texas Medical Board pursuant to alleged violations of their Agreed Orders. In both cases the Medical Board had failed to follow proper procedure and adhere to the terms of each physician’s Agreed Order prior to…
Recent rule changes by the Texas Medical Board will be taking effect on June 19th. Licensed doctors and licensed physicians in the state of Texas ought to be aware of these changes. The attorneys of the Leichter Law Office has the experience and expertise necessary to assist medical licensees or medical license applicants in these…
The Texas Medical Board is presently lobbying the State Legislature to pass a new bill which would grant them extensive new regulatory authority over pain management clinics. Available for public view on the Texas Legislature’s website as House Bill No. 4334, this legislation would enact Chapter 167 of the Texas Medical Practice Act and…
Now that 2008 has come to a close, it has become clear that the Texas Medical Board has made significant strides in reducing the amount of time it takes to process first-time applicants for a state medical license. A combination of far-reaching medical malpractice reform and a growing population, has led to a large…
When a physician is involved in a disciplinary proceeding with the Texas Medical Board, Department of Public Safety, or other governmental entity that will likely result in some variety of Board order, it is critically important to carefully craft the final agreement so as to avoid trouble down the line. All provider networks have…
In recent years, I have witnessed an increase in the recreational use of dextromethorphan among Texas doctors. An ingredient found in many common cold medicines, dextromethorphan acts as an effective cough suppressant by operating as a narcotic analgesic thereby relieving upper respitory irritation. When administered at higher, non-therapeutic doses, however, the drug causes dissociative…
