CLEAR

Arizona universal licensing recognition bill signed

HB 2569 in Arizona has been signed by the governor, making Arizona the first state to universally recognize out-of-state occupational licenses. Individuals who have held an out-of-state license for at least one year, are in good standing, and do not have any pending complaints or investigations against them will be able to practice in Arizona without becoming licensed in Arizona. Supporters of the bill hope it will have a positive impact on Arizona's shortages in teaching, medicine and nursing by allowing qualified licensees to easily move into the state. Opponents of the bill note that it is not a reciprocity bill because Arizona professionals will not equally be able to use their Arizona license in other states.

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UK court case: complying with standards when overseas

A recent court case involving the UK's General Medical Council explored how a health practitioner's actions while practicing overseas could affect their UK licensure. The case involved a GMC registered consultant oncologist who was practicing in India but maintained his UK registration. After an incident in India, the UK regulator found cause to remove him from the UK register. The practitioner appealed, noting that there were no guidelines in India, where the incident occurred, that could be applied to the case. The High Court, however, ruled that the UK regulator must apply UK professional standards when considering the conduct of a registrant.

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Medical professionals charged by Justice Department for opioid prescribing

As part of the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid Strike Force, 31 doctors, 7 pharmacists, 8 nurse practitioners and 7 other medical professionals have been charged with illegal prescribing of opioids. The practitioners were charged with unlawful distribution or dispensing of controlled substances by a medical professional and healthcare fraud. Also related to the opioid epidemic, Purdue Pharma, make of OxyContin, has settled a case brought against it by the Oklahoma Attorney General's office.

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Report on College of Dental Surgeons of BC

An inquiry ordered last year by Health Minister Adrian Dix has resulted in a report outlining 21 recommendations for the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia. The review was conducted by Harry Cayton with the Professional Standards Authority in the UK. Recommendations include that dentists who are the subject of a current complaint or investigation (or the subject of a complaint that's been upheld) should not be allowed on the board or any College committee. Another recommendation is that the board not be involved in the complaints process. The report also noted the difficult situation for staff when the registrar and CEO resigned with no timetable from the College for recruitment of a new executive. The report also addressed issues of transparency, board size reduction, and consistency in requirements among health regulators in BC.

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EU healthcare qualifications will be recognized after Brexit

The Health and Social Care Secretary in the UK has announced that European Union healthcare workers will have their qualifications and registrations recognized after Brexit even if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Health and social care workers with professional qualifications from EU institutions will continue to have their training accepted by all UK regulatory bodies.

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Vermont Senate passes building contractors registration bill

After a study conducted by the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, the Vermont Senate has passed a bill to register building contractors who work on jobs worth more than $2,000.  Contractors would be required to register and pay $100/year. Currently, complaints against contractors go to the Attorney General's office, which has received almost 600 complaints between 2012 and 2017 - one of the highest areas of consumer fraud complaints. With the bill, two new positions would be created at the Secretary of State's office to handle the registration system. The bill heads to the House.

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Canada proposes College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants

The Government of Canada is considering a proposal to create a new College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. The proposal comes at the time of a Globe and Mail investigation into abuses and cases of exploitation by international recruiters and immigration consultants in Canada. Immigration consultants are currently regulated by the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council. The new College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants would create a code of professional conduct established by the Minister of Immigration, create a Complaints Committee to conduct investigations and a Discipline Committee to take disciplinary action, and prohibit the use of certain titles by unlicensed individuals.

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UK: solicitors tribunal to lower standard of proof in conduct cases

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in the UK has proposed to the Legal Services Board to lower the level of proof required for prosecution in conduct cases from a criminal standard to a civil standard. The change would move from "beyond all reasonable doubt" to "on the balance of probabilities." The change would bring the Tribunal in line with other professional tribunals and ensure that all legal regulators in the UK use the same standard.

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UK Nursing and Midwifery Council 5-year plan

The new chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council has indicated several issues that will be part of the regulator's new five-year plan, the first being to inject more "humanity" into the regulator and treating nurses facing discipline with "dignity and respect." Changes to the fitness to practice approach will allow the regulator to consider the context of misconduct and to keep nurses and midwives on the register if they show appropriate remediation. Also part of the plan is consideration of healthcare assistant and advanced nurse practitioner regulation.

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Texas considers religious refusal bill

A bill under consideration in the Texas Senate would allow licensed professionals to deny services to individuals based on a "seriously held religious belief." The bill would require medical professionals to treat patients at risk of death or serious injury despite any held religious beliefs. Opponents of the bill raise concern about discrimination and challenges in accessing healthcare.

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