CLEAR

Philippines: PRC ends policy on unpaid debt

The Professional Regulation Commission in the Philippines has eliminated a Department of Labor and Employment policy that prevented teachers with unpaid debts or pending administrative cases from renewing their licenses.

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New book on licensing's effects on efficiency and quality

Morris Kleiner, professor of economics at the University of Minnesota, has shared with CLEAR that his new book, Grease of Grit? International Case Studies of Occupational Licensing and Its Effects on Efficiency and Quality, will be published September 15. From the cover: “Regulating labor markets through occupational licensing could help increase service quality but is likely to also reduce labor supply and increase prices. This fascinating book examines many occupations across five countries and shows that there is no clear positive impact of licensing on quality. It is a must read for everyone interested in the practical impact of regulation—as well as those seeking reforms.”

To order a copy: https://www.amazon.com/International-Studies-Occupational-Licensing-Efficiency/dp/0880996862/

Ethiopia: research on hiring bodies for health professionals

A study was conducted in Ethiopia to analyze the licensing practices of healthcare professional hiring bodies. "One-fifth of recruiting bodies (20.55%) had experience in hiring health professionals without a license. Moreover, 136 (37.3%) of the health professional hiring bodies had a mechanism in place to verify the license's originality, of which, 40 (29.4%) said they found fake licenses during recruitment. Fifty-seven (15.62%) of respondents had seen a health professional being recruited without a license in their institution, and 40 (10.9%) had taken part in the recruitment of health professionals without a license. Two hundred and eleven (60.5%) of the hiring bodies had never attended or conducted training about health professionals' licenses in their institution.

About 56% of the health professional hiring bodies of Ethiopia were found to have good licensing practices and the rest 44% have poor licensing practices while recruiting health professionals in their institutions."

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India: National Medical Commission institutes Physician's Pledge

The National Medical Commission, the regulatory body fr medical professionals in India, has drafted regulations for the professional conduct on doctors that include the Physician's Pledge. A prior recommendation to replace the Hippocratic Oath with the Charak Shapath, a Sanskrit oath, was met with opposition. The Physician's Pledge is part of the World Medical Association's Declaration of Geneve adopted in 1948 and revised most recently in 2017.

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New Zealand: changes to engineering regulation

New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has announced changes to engineering regulation, making registration and licensing mandatory. The current Chartered Professional Engineers register is voluntary. The new system will require all practicing engineers to be registered and those working in high-risk fields to be licensed. Engineering New Zealand supports the new regulatory framework.

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Research: professional regulation and pandemic response - international comparison

A new research paper considers whether "some nations may have been better positioned" to implement needed regulatory policy change during the pandemic "due to their systems of healthcare professional regulation." The article explores three research questions: (1) Did healthcare professional regulators and governments respond differently to the COVID-19 pandemic across the three countries [the UK, Australia, and Canada]? (2) Did national-level professional regulations in the UK and Australia lead to a more effective pandemic response than in Canada, with its system of provincial professional regulation? (3) How did professionals view these pandemic policy responses?

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Philippines: food technologist regulatory board

The Professional Regulatory Board of Food Technology was created in July 2021 and has now developed a code of conduct; guidelines for registration without exam; and a Professional Competitiveness Roadmap to focus on a licensure exam, continuing professional development, internationalization, inspection and monitoring, and research and development. Food technologists would be trained to conduct food analysis, comply with food laws and regulations in food manufacturing and distribution, develop new food products, and implement quality management systems.

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UK proposes changes to international registration legislation

The Department of Health and Social Care in the UK is holding an open consultation on proposed changes to international registration legislation for the General Dental Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Since the end of 2020, European law for the recognition of European Economic Area qualified healthcare professionals no longer applies in the UK. Moving forward, EEA applicants will likely be considered through the individual regulator's international registration process. A new Professional Qualifications Bill is currently under consideration to implement a new framework for the recognition of overseas professional qualifications. The changes aim to ensure that registration processes are streamlined and that regulators have flexibility to amend processes without requiring legislative intervention.

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Pakistan: doctors protest National Licensing Exam

The Young Doctors Association in Pakistan have protested the Pakistan Medical Commission's decision to make the National Licensing Exam mandatory. Those against the exam requirement claim that it is a duplication of the exams at the end of every year of the five-year MBBS degree program and also note that the new national exam would be developed by the same professors who develop those yearly exams.

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Philippines: bill to regulate physical therapists

The Philippines House of Representatives has passed a bill for "Philippine Physical Therapy Law" establish licensure of physical therapists under a Professional Regulatory Board of Physical Therapy. A Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards of Practice will be developed along with continuing professional development requirements. The bill now moves to the Senate.

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