CLEAR

Standards of practice released for physician advisors

The Association of Physician Leadership in Care Management has created standards of practice and a scope of services for the physician advisor role. The standards are designed "as a framework demonstrating the competencies and skill set that can be expected of physicians in leadership roles in care management" and address "professionalism, leadership, advocacy, accountability, communications, collaboration, regulatory knowledge, continuum of care perspective and data literacy."

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Illinois proposes changes to pharmacist regulation

A task force in Illinois recently looked at why dangerous drug interactions were not being caught by pharmacists. The task force found pharmacists overwhelmed by "an assembly-line process at busy pharmacies where hundreds of prescriptions are filled in a single shift." The task force's recommendations focused on easing stress by creating a requirement for one uninterrupted 30-minute meal break and one 15-minute break for a 6-hour shift and an additional 15-minute break for a 12-hour shift. The task force also looked at additional employer requirements on pharmacists, such as soliciting new business and meeting production quotas. The task force recommends that pharmacies be disciplined for not allowing sufficient time for tasks such as reviewing patient's history and answering customer questions. They also recommend expanding the scope of practice for pharmacy technicians.

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Alberta: LPN expanded scope of practice

Amendments to Alberta's licensed practical nurse professional regulation will expand LPN scope of practice effective February 1, 2020. The expanded scope will include administering blood, dispensing certain drugs, providing ultrasound for bedside nursing assessments, and administering medication by invasive procedure.

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Update: Michigan bill on licensed professional counselors passes House

A bill has passed in the Michigan House to codify existing rules for practice as a licensed professional counselor, allowing LPCs to continue diagnosing and treating clients in a clinical setting. The legislation now heads to the Senate. If not passed, the Department of Licensing and Regulator Affairs could move forward with a rule change to clarify the scope of practice and remove diagnosis and psychotherapy techniques.

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Michigan proposes changes to licensed professional counselor regulation

The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is proposing updates to counseling regulations to bring the regulations in compliance with state law. The regulations would be changed to remove reference to diagnosis and psychotherapy treatment authority. These activities are currently not within LPC's scope of practice in statute. However, legislation has been introduced that would define LPC scope of practice to include "clinical counseling principles, methods or procedures" to diagnose and treat mental health patients.

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American Association of Nurse Practitioners on full practice authority

In a recent article, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners president calls on lawmakers to consider full practice authority for nurse practitioners. The AANP has developed a map tool that categorizes states as having full practice authority, reduced practice or restricted practice.

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US teeth-aligning company files lawsuit against Manitoba Dental Association

SmileDirectClub, a US-based company that sells mail-order teeth-straightening devices, has filed a lawsuit against the Manitoba Dental Association and its board of directors alleging that they have made "false or misleading statements" about the company. The case cites two emails sent by the Manitoba Dental Association to its members noting the requirement for in-person exams and the requirement that a dentist be on site when taking impressions of teeth for retainers. The email noted the risk of patient harm if these requirements are not followed. SmileDirectClub's case claims that there is no regulation making in-person exams a requirement, thus the association's statements are intimidating dentists into not doing business with the company. SmileDirectClub has been the subject of federal court cases in the US, in Georgia and Alabama, as well as complaints from the American Association of Orthodontists.

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Highlighting approaches to addressing health practitioner shortages

A report by the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 120,000 doctors by 2030. This article highlights some approaches being implemented by hospitals and healthcare systems, including:

• launching training and residency programs in rural areas and impoverished cities and encouraging graduates to practice locally;
• employing more advanced practice professionals, such as physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives, as part of care teams;
• expanding telemedicine to allow real-time examination and monitoring of patients in areas where specialists are in short supply; and
• relieving or reducing clerical burdens associated with electronic health records and introducing programs to promote mental well-being, both aimed at reducing risk of burnout and early retirement.

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Illinois: changes to medical cannabis regulation

New legislation in Illinois makes changes to medical cannabis regulation, including expanding the type of medical professionals who can certify patients' eligibility. Advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants will now be able to diagnose and certify patients for the medical cannabis program.

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Healthcare Professionals Crossing Borders newsletter

The summer edition of Healthcare Professionals Crossing Borders Update is available with articles highlighting the UK and Ireland's Memorandum of Understanding related to reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications; a report on task shifting in healthcare systems, including whether some tasks currently being performed by health workers could be undertaken by machines; a European Commission High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence and a set of seven key requirements for AI systems to be deemed trustworthy; a joint statement by the UK's nine healthcare regulators about the benefits of becoming a reflective practitioner; the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency's new video series to support the public and practitioners through the complaints process; and a new report on international mobility of health workers.

Read the HPCB Update