CLEAR

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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Mississippi could expand telemedicine services

Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure regulations about which facilities can provide emergency telemedicine services currently allow only one provider in the state to do so. The Board has proposed a change to the regulation to reduce those restrictions and allow additional facilities to provide emergency telemedicine services. The proposal must still be reviewed by the Occupational Licensing Review Commission.

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General Pharmaceutical Council issues new guidance for online pharmacies

The General Pharmaceutical Council in the UK has issued guidance for online pharmacies and medication delivery services, including the importance of checking and authenticating patient identity and that providers ask for practitioner details and share prescription details with practitioners. The guidance recommends that distance pharmacies keep records beyond what if required of brick and mortar pharmacies. The guidance also suggests that pharmacies providing services across borders must check legal requirements in the country where they are based and the country where the patient is based.

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Michigan joins Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

Michigan becomes the 27th jurisdiction to enact the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Supporters of the compact hope that it will allow patients in underserved areas more access to healthcare through telemedicine as well as make it easier to recruit physicians to underserved areas.

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US government report urges expanded scope of practice and telehealth

A report issued by the US Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, "Reforming America's Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition," calls for easing of scope of practice laws, particularly giving examples of advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, dental therapists and hygienists, and optometrists. The report calls for changes to scope of practice laws to allow healthcare providers to practice at the top of the license and skill set. A further recommendation is elimination of collaborative practice and supervision agreement requirements. The report also suggested easing the license process for foreign-trained physicians.

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AMA expands Health Workforce Mapper tool

The American Medical Association has updated and expanded their Health Workforce Mapper tool, which uses data-visualization to locate physician shortage areas. The tool provides information on an area's healthcare workforce, including specialists and subspecialists, searchable by state, county or zip code. The tool also shows healthcare facilities and information on transportation and geographic features, such as highways, mountains and waterways, that could affect access to care. The tool has been used to help inform policymakers on issues related to telemedicine and scope of practice as ways of addressing healthcare shortage areas.

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Great Britain examines loopholes for online pharmacies

The General Pharmaceutical Council, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Social Care and other regulators, is examining loopholes in legislation that allow some online pharmacies to operate without regulation. Online prescribing services must register with the Care Quality Commission only if they employ a listed healthcare professional, which does not include pharmacists or pharmacist prescribers. The CQC's responsibilities include regulating online primary care services, but it was set up when few internet primary care providers of internet prescribing existed.

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Pennsylvania considers telemedicine bill

A telemedicine bill has passed the Pennsylvania Senate, which would allow licensing boards to regulate telemedicine within the scope of practice and standard of care regulated by the board. Health care professionals could utilize telemedicine technologies as long as they are able to determine that they can meet the same standards of care as if the healthcare service were provided in person. The bill also allow for insurance coverage and reimbursement of telemedicine.

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British Columbia: new telepharmacy requirements

Amendments to the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws and the Telepharmacy Standards of Practice came into effect in November. The amendments are based on information gathered during review and inspection of telepharmacy sites since 2014. The amendments create a new telepharmacy license type, increase the required inspections and audits of telepharmacies, and allow telepharmacy records and documents to be transferred to the central pharmacy on a yearly basis. The amendments also set out new standards of practice for direct supervision, receipt and transfer of prescriptions, prescription processing, patient counseling and document storage.

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Update: US House passes VA telehealth bill

The House Veterans Affairs Committee has passed a bill that supports the Department of Veteran's Affairs's "Anywhere to Anywhere VA Health Care" program announced in August. The bill requires the VA to report back in one year with information on telehealth's impact on healthcare and feedback from veterans. A similar bill is being considered in the Senate.

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