The proposed rule amendments are intended to amend continuing medical education (CME) for initial and renewal of licensure pursuant to changes in Chapter 456, Florida Statutes.

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Board of Medicine

RULE NO: RULE TITLE
64B8-30.003: Physician Assistant Licensure
64B8-30.005: Physician Assistant Licensure Renewal and Reactivation
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The proposed rule amendments are intended to amend continuing medical education (CME) for initial and renewal of licensure pursuant to changes in Chapter 456, Florida Statutes.
SUMMARY: The proposed rule amendments clarify the requirements for continuing medical education for both initial and renewal of licensure.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 456.013, 456.031, 456.033(1)(6), 458.309, 458.347 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 456.013, 456.017, 456.031, 456.033, 458.347 FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN FAW.
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Larry McPherson, Jr., Executive Director, Board of Medicine/MQA, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin # C03, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3253.

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

64B8-30.003 Physician Assistant Licensure.

(1) through (2) No change.

(3) The applicant must submit a statement documenting completion statements containing the following information:

(a) Completion of three hours of all Category I, American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education which includes the topics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: the disease and its spectrum of clinical manifestations; epidemiology of the disease; related infections including TB; treatment, counseling, and prevention; transmission from healthcare worker to patient and patient to healthcare worker; universal precautions and isolation techniques; and legal issues related to the disease. If the applicant has not already completed the required continuing medical education, upon submission of an affidavit of good cause, the applicant will be allowed six months to complete this requirement.

(b) Completion of one hour of continuing medical education on domestic violence which includes information on the number of patients in that professional's practice who are likely to be victims of domestic violence and the number who are likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence, screening procedures for determining whether a patient has any history of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence, and instruction on how to provide such patients with information on, or how to refer such patients to, resources in the local community, such as domestic violence centers and other advocacy groups, that provide legal aid, shelter, victim counseling, batterer counseling, or child protection services, and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education. Home study courses approved by the above agencies will be acceptable. If the applicant has not already completed the required continuing medical education, upon submission of an affidavit of good cause, the applicant will be allowed six months to complete this requirement.

(c) Completion of two hours of continuing medical education relating to prevention of medical errors which includes a study of root cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety, and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education. One hour of a two hour course which is provided by a facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 395, F.S., for its employees may be used to partially meet this requirement.

(4) through (5) No change.

Specific Authority 456.013, 456.031(2), 456.033(6), 458.309, 458.347 FS. Law Implemented 456.013, 456.017, 456.031, 456.033, 458.347 FS. History–New 4-28-76, Amended 11-15-78, 10-23-80, 12-4-85, Formerly 21M-17.03, Amended 5-13-87, 11-15-88, 11-15-90, 1-9-92, 5-6-93, Formerly 21M-17.003, Amended 9-21-93, Formerly 61F6-17.003, Amended 9-8-94, 11-30-94, 10-25-95, 3-25-96, Formerly 59R-30.003, Amended 6-7-98, 8-19-99, 5-28-00, 3-3-02, 5-19-03, 10-19-03, 11-17-03, 9-5-05, 12-12-05, 10-30-06,_________.

 

64B8-30.005 Physician Assistant Licensure Renewal and Reactivation.

(1) No change.

(2) Requirements for Renewal.

(a) through (c) No change.

(d) As part of every third biennial renewal licensure period, For all licensees shall complete two (2) hours no more and no less than one hour shall consist of training in domestic violence which includes information on the number of patients in that professional's practice who are likely to be victims of domestic violence and the number who are likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence, screening procedures for determining whether a patient has any history of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence, and instruction on how to provide such patients with information on, or how to refer such patients to, resources in the local community, such as domestic violence centers and other advocacy groups, that provide legal aid, shelter, victim counseling, batterer counseling, or child protection services, and which is approved by any state or federal government agency, or nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of Category I or II American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education. Home study courses approved by the above agencies will be acceptable.

(e) Upon a licensee’s first renewal of licensure, the licensee must document the completion of one (1) hour For all licensees one hour of Category I American Medical Association Continuing Medical Education which includes the topics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; the modes of transmission, including transmission from healthcare worker to patient and patient to healthcare worker; infection control procedures, including universal precautions; epidemiology of the disease; related infections including TB; clinical management; prevention; and current Florida law on AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. Any hours of said CME may also be counted toward the CME license renewal requirement. In order for a course to count as meeting this requirement, licensees practicing in Florida must clearly demonstrate that the course includes Florida law on HIV/AIDS and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients. Only Category I hours shall be accepted.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (d) and (e), above, a physician assistant may complete continuing education on end-of-life care and palliative health care in lieu of continuing education in HIV/AIDS or domestic violence, if that physician assistant has completed the HIV/AIDS or domestic violence continuing education in the immediately preceding biennium. This allows for end-of-life care and palliative health care continuing education to substitute for HIV/AIDS or domestic violence continuing education in alternate biennia.

(f)(g) No change.

(3) No change.

(4) Reactivation of Inactive License. To reactivate a license that has been inactive for two (2) consecutive biennial cycles, the licensee must:

(a) through (d) No change.

(e) Submit proof of completion of the continuing medical education requirements in compliance with paragraphs 64B8-30.005(2)(c), (d), (e), (f) and (f)(g), F.A.C., for each biennium in which the license was inactive; and

(f) No change.

(5) through (8) No change.

Specific Authority 456.013, 456.031(1)(a), 456.033(1), 458.309, 458.347 FS. Law Implemented 456.013, 456.031(1), 456.033, 456.036, 458.347 FS. History–New 5-13-87, Amended 1-9-92, Formerly 21M-17.0035, Amended 9-21-93, Formerly 61F6-17.0035, Amended 11-30-94, Formerly 59R-30.005, Amended 6-7-98, 3-3-02, 10-12-03, 7-27-04, 10-19-04,__________.

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Council on Physician Assistants

NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Board of Medicine

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: December 2, 2006

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: September 8, 2006