State Member Board Briefs

GeorgiaTele-Prescribing Flexibilities RescindedDuring their April 2024 meeting, the Georgia Composite Medical Board reconsidered its position on the tele-prescribing flexibilities currently permitted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The Board voted to rescind its decision to reinstate the Georgia telemedicine rules, which were expected to resume on May 1, 2024. The Board will permit Georgia practitioners to continue to follow the DEA/HHS tele-prescribing flexibilities through December 31, 2024.North CarolinaAnnual Report ReleasedThe North Carolina Medical Board has released its’ 2023 Annual Report. The report presents a summary of the Board's activities for the previous year. It includes demographic information about NCMB's licensees, information about complaints received and investigations conducted, data about public and private actions by the Board and a summary of significant policy initiatives for the current year.The report is available at https://www.ncmedboard.org/about-the-board/annual-reportsSource: Georgia Composite Medical Board Press Release, April 5, 2024. https://medicalboard.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-04-05/board-rescinds-decision-end-tele-prescribing-flexibilities-allowed-drugOregonPhysician Assistant Title Changed to Physician AssociateIn March, the Oregon State Legislature passed a bill that included changing the title of “physician assistants” to “physician associates.” The law took effect on June 6, 2024. This legislation, which was signed by Governor Tina Kotek, makes Oregon the first state in the nation to adopt the title change.Oregon Society of Physician Associates (OSPA) President Alisa Gifford, PA-C, said passage of this legislation builds on work that OSPA has championed in recent years to modernize the way PAs practice medicine in Oregon.“Over the past year, OSPA leadership has been working hard to advocate for this important change,” Gifford said.“We've had countless meetings with legislators to ensure they understand the vital role our profession plays in the healthcare system and the need for a title that better reflects this role. Thanks to the passage of House Bill 4010, PAs will have a title that more accurately reflects our scope of practice and will give patients a better understanding of the important credentials and responsibilities that PAs have within the healthcare system. I hope it helps pave the way for other states to update their title as well.”TexasNew Continuing Education TrackerThe Texas Medical Board has partnered with CE Broker, an online system to help licensed professionals with keeping track of their earned credit hours and helping streamline any continuing education auditing.All licensees will eventually be granted access to a free basic account, with a continuing rollout between June 2024 and June 2025 by license type. Licensees will be notified by e-mail when they are able to create an account using their Texas license credentials. Physician licensees will have access to create a CE Broker account in early June.CE Broker is used by more than 250 licensing and certification boards across the country. The Board is pleased to offer this new opportunity to help all our licensees with staying up to date with their continuing education requirements.More information is available in the April 2024 issue of the Texas Medical Board Bulletin at https://www.tmb.state.tx.us/dl/2BA3C843-30D4-0E6D-1621-DB62D209AB97Source: AAPA website, April 5, 2024, https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2024/04/oregon-governor-tina-kotek-signs-law-changing-pa-title/