CLEAR

Audit report: California Board of Registered Nurses

The California State Auditor has released a report on the California Board of Registered Nurses, revealing the falsification of investigation records. The Board had been directed to clear the backlog of pending investigations after a 2016 report. In 2018, the Board reported to the auditor that cases were distributed among investigators so that no one investigator had more than 20 cases, but the new audit report shows that cases were subsequently moved back to the original investigators.

A separate audit investigation is underway regarding the Board's oversight of nursing schools and complaints about how the Board handled changes to regulations for nursing students in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Report on professional accountant regulation in Australia

CPA Australia has released a "Regulatory Burden Research Report." "Based on CPA Australia’s research into advice supply and demand, as well as its analysis of the current regulatory framework, the recommendations in this report aim to eliminate duplicative and conflicting regulations, and to streamline the existing framework to reduce the cost and burden on professional accountants. Five recommendations proposed are: review definition of key terms; redefine product advice and introduce strategic financial planning advice; individual licensing or registration of financial advisers; align codes of ethics and CPD requirements; and consider changes to the tax registration system."

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VA DPOR receives report on operations and performance

Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission has submitted a report reviewing the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation's staffing and organization, processing of licenses, enforcement of occupational rules, and affordability of fees. The report found that most licensing requirements are appropriate, but eleven regulated occupations do not meet the criteria for regulation established in the Code of Virginia. The report indicates that licenses are issued in a timely manner, but the licensing IT system could be more user-friendly and more effective at automating processes. While license application fees were found to be in line with other states, the methodology to determine fees based on expected expenses of the agency was found inadequate. The report notes the lack of well-developed sanction guidelines for discipline and insufficient authority to handle unlicensed practice. The report notes the need for organizational change to address staff vacancies and an upgraded IT system.

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California Regulatory Law Reporter returns

The Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego has announced the resumed publication of the California Regulatory Law Reporter in an online format. The online publication features "high-level summaries of the activities of 12 of California's major regulatory agencies and provides hyperlinks to key sources." The publication will be released twice annually.

Read more and access the current issue

College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta organizational changes

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta has added two new executive officers to oversee day to day operations of programs and services. A Senior Director of Communications has also been added, with these three directors and the CEO comprising the executive team. A director has been added for the area of professional practice, and the areas of policy and research have been combined. CEO Linda Stanger says, "These changes support an increased focus on key areas, creating synergies and opportunity both internally and with our stakeholders."

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Ireland: CORU announces five year strategy

CORU, Ireland's regulator for health and social care professions, has launched a Five Year Statement of Strategy 2017-2021. According to the Chair of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, "The Statement of Strategy will ensure that CORU continues to build a model of regulation that effectively delivers our remit to protect the public.  It ensures that we remain fit for purpose as Ireland’s only multi-profession regulator and that we deliver in a sustainable and cost effective way for all our stakeholders." Over the next fiove years, as the number of registrants increases significantly when all 15 designated professions come under regulation, CORU will review how it can streamline its processes to meet the demand and continue to deliver effective regulation.

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UK: Professional Standards Authority annual report

The Professional Standards Authority in the UK has recently published their "Review of professional regulation and registration and Annual Report" for 2015/2016. The report details the PSA's newly revised process for performance reviews of the regulators, with reviews of each regulator to be spaced throughout the year and the assessment on each regulator to be published as soon as it is complete. The report also provides some emerging trends from the beginning of the 2016 review cycle, as well as a review of the accredited registers program.

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UK legislators back proposal for "negative register" of care workers

The UK House of Common Health Select Committee has come out in support of proposals for a "negative register" of care workers deemed to be unfit to work in adult social care. The committee's First Report of its 2014 Accountability hearing with the Health and Care Professions Council [HCPC] states that such a system would “offer far greater public protection” than a voluntary scheme which was previously suggested by government. The power to establish a "negative register" was provided for in the draft Regulation for health and social care professionals Bill, which was controversially excluded from the next raft of legislation to be considered by Parliament. Acting chair of the committee, David Tredinnick said: “Continuing concerns about regulation of the social care workforce need to be addressed, and we support the HCPC’s proposal of a negative register as the most effective first step in providing protection for the public.”

North Carolina report into prescription drug abuse calls for statewide prescribing guidelines, improved provider education, and increased reporting

A report from the North Carolina Program Evaluation Division, which conducts independent evaluations of state government, provides a series of recommendations about ways in which prescription drug abuse can be better tackled in the state. These include the creation of statewide prescribing guidelines for all medical providers subject to licensure, and the introduction of a requirement for prescribers to receive at last one hour of continuing education on prescription drug abuse as a condition of license renewal. In addition, the report calls for better use of the prescription drug database, and improvements to a program "locking-in" certain Medicaid patients to a single health care provider and pharmacy when accessing particular drugs.

Executive summary.

Full report.

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/04/30/3081722/nc-report-tackles-prescription.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/04/30/3081722/nc-report-tackles-prescription.html#storylink=cpy

Arizona Medical Board subject of critical ombudsman's report; executive director removed

A report from the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide into allegations that the state medical board: violated Arizona licensing laws for medical doctors; permitted a Board member’s service to exceed legal term limits; and that its Executive Director and Deputy Director approved procedures and directed staff to operate in ways that violated state laws, has substantiated 19 allegations and found one indeterminate. The report recommends "changes to state laws to enhance public safety through criminal background checks, primary source verification of qualifications, use of national verification services and elimination of unnecessary steps [and] a review of AMB licenses issued since September 2011 by the Arizona Auditor General. Most importantly, until new licensing laws pass through authorized means, the Board must adhere to existing Arizona laws." The Board's Executive Director was removed following a 5-4 Board vote last month. Following the vote board chairman Gordi Khera said “We need to gain the trust of the public,” adding “The members of the Arizona Medical Board take our responsibility seriously and want to assure the public and medical community they can be confident in the licensing procedure.”

Report.