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February 2021 eNews
Updates & Important Information from the State Medical Board of Ohio
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Celebrating 125 Years
The State Medical Board of Ohio celebrates its 125th anniversary of public service to Ohioans. The Medical Board was established on February 27, 1896 and held its first meeting the following month. At that time, the board only licensed allopathic physicians and midwives. Today, the Medical Board regulates more than 95,000 physicians and other health care professionals. Since its organization, the board has licensed over 240,000 individuals.
For the past 125 years the board has worked relentlessly to accomplish its mission of public protection through effective medical regulation. While upholding its primary objective, it has many other roles: licensing, investigating, disciplining, rule-making and educating.
Since its inception, one hundred and thirty-three men and women have served as board members. Each of these individuals has felt the privilege of serving the public and medical community. We thank each of them for their dedication to protecting Ohioans.
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SMBO Joins Ohio’s Human Trafficking Task Force
On January 29, 2021, Governor DeWine signed Executive Order 2021-02D, which increases the number of collaborating agencies in the task force and seeks to pursue fresh strategies to combat human trafficking in Ohio. The task force was established in 2012 and is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services.
The entire news release can be viewed here.
Click here to view the board’s human trafficking awareness videos.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, help is available by calling 888-373-7888 or by texting INFO or HELP to 233733. |
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House Bill 404
HB 404 extended the deadline for renewal of licenses that were due to expire between March 9, 2020 – April 1, 2021. Click here for further details.
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Need to Check the Expiration Date of Your License?
eLicense.ohio.gov
24/7 access & instant verification
no need to log in, simply search by name
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Scam Alert
Licensees should remain vigilant against the ongoing spoofing and extortion scams targeting Ohio prescribers. Scammers have been calling and faxing fraudulent letters, using the board's letterhead, stating the prescriber has been investigated for drug trafficking by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and their license has been suspended effective immediately.
The Medical Board has also learned of attempts to file for unemployment in multiple states using licensee information. If you are the victim of identity theft and your identity is used to file fraudulent unemployment claims, The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services offers the following resources:
- A dedicated hotline for identity theft issues at 833-658-0394, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
- An online identity theft reporting portal
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There is additional information posted on our website. Learn how to identify a legitimate investigation, how to verify if the caller is from the Medical Board and how to file a complaint if you are contacted by a scammer. |
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COVID-19 Updates
How to Help - Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer Registry
The Ohio Department of Health is seeking licensed health care professionals to enroll in the Medical Reserve Corps and help administer the COVID-19 vaccine in Ohio communities. Click here to learn how you can enroll today.
New Survey Published Dec. 2020 - Health Care Provider Deployment
Below is a link to a new survey for licensed health care providers willing to be deployed to health facilities in crisis due to COVID-19. Patient care may be needed for both clinical and behavioral health. This is an unprecedented incident and we need to identify all available health care providers to mount an effective response. Interested licensees will be contacted by a representative from the State of Ohio or by interested health care entities to discuss next steps. Even if you previously completed a similar survey, please complete this survey to ensure updated information is on file. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. If you have questions about the survey, please contact: MRC@odh.ohio.gov.
Vaccine
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Toolkit for providers. It includes talking points, language tips, graphics, myths vs. facts, FAQs and more to help you communicate about the vaccination with staff and patients.
If you have any questions, please contact the ODH COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Enrollment Team at covidvaccine@odh.ohio.gov.
Temporary Relaxation of Physician Assistant Supervision
Senate Bill 310 was signed into law on December 29, 2020 by Governor DeWine. Several sections respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting strain on health care providers. The emergency clause attached to this bill made it effective immediately upon Governor DeWine’s signature until May 1, 2021.
- Physician assistants (PA) that are employed by or under contract with a hospital or other health care facility, may practice under the direction, control, and supervision of any physician or podiatrist in that setting regardless of whether they have a supervision agreement with that physician or podiatrist.
- These PAs may perform services within their scope of practice, if authorized by the physician or podiatrist and the hospital or health care facility, regardless if those services are authorized in any existing supervision agreement to which they are a party.
- Physicians and podiatrists practicing in a hospital or other health care facility, may (1) supervise a PA (employed by or under contract with a hospital or other health care facility) that they do not have a supervision agreement with and (2) authorize that PA to perform services that are within their scope of practice if those services are also authorized by the hospital or health care facility.
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The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is leading Ohio’s pandemic response. If you have questions or concerns about their programs, please use the links below. SMBO will continue to share information from ODH as it is received.
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Trusted Resources
- State Medical Board of Ohio COVID-19 updates
- Board of Pharmacy updates
- State of Ohio's website
- Department of Health hotline
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
- DEA
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Ohio prescribers are required to include the diagnosis code on all controlled substance prescriptions per 4729-5-30 of Ohio Administrative Code. |
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Medical Board Reviews Petitions
On February 10, 2021, the board’s Medical Marijuana Committee met and voted to recommend to the full board to reject petitions that did not meet requirements and confirmed petitions that should move forward for expert review and public comment. Later this year, the board will decide if they should be added to the list of conditions which can qualify patients to participate in Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program.
The State Medical Board of Ohio will consider adding the following as qualifying conditions for Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program:
- Autism (2 petitions)
- Huntington’s Disease
- Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Spasticity and Spasms
- Terminal Illness (2 petitions)
Written public comment on these conditions will be accepted February 11 – February 26, 2021. Anyone may submit comments by emailing MedicalMarijuana@med.ohio.gov.
Read the full announcement here.
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The State Medical Board of Ohio is seeking qualified medical experts to review petitions. These petitions will request the addition of qualifying medical conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. If you are interested in becoming a subject matter expert reviewer, please submit a completed questionnaire and a copy of your CV to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov. Following receipt of this information, your name will be added to our list of subject matter experts. When the board receives a petition matching your background, experience, and specialty, board personnel will contact you with further details.
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Duty to Report
Ohio physicians and many other allied health care providers, regulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio, are obligated to report violations of law, rule and code of ethics standards to the Medical Board. Knowing a colleague is violating regulations and not reporting to the Medical Board not only puts patients at risk but also puts your license to practice in jeopardy. Failure to report can result in fines of up to $20,000 and disciplinary action.
While standards of care and scope of practice are specific to the type of health care you provide, you should be familiar with three main sets of regulations:
- Statutes: Laws are outlined in Ohio Revised Code (ORC). A link for each license type can be found on our website.
- Rules: Regulations that were created specifically by the State Medical Board of Ohio for its licensees. These are found in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) and a link for each license type can be found on our website.
- Code of Ethics for your profession
In 2019, the State Medical Board of Ohio took additional steps to ensure licensees know the seriousness of their duty to report knowledge of misconduct. The board added a new section to the application and renewal process to ensure those applying for and renewing their licenses are aware of the duty to report.
Licensees should not assume that by informing their supervisor their duty to report is fulfilled. Ohio law is clear when a licensee needs to report information directly to the Medical Board. Anyone, including licensees, can file a complaint directly with the Medical Board 24/7 through the confidential complaint hotline at 1-833-333-SMBO (7626) or online at med.ohio.gov.
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Licensee Obligation to Complete Death Certificates
When an individual dies under natural causes the attending physician is to sign the death certificate within forty-eight hours after the death. Read the Medical Board's policy statement and FAQs here. |
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Track Your CE/CME Online with CE BROKER |
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MDs, DOs, DPMs, CTs, GCs, RCPs and LDs – sign up for your free CE Broker account. The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) has partnered with CE Broker to simplify your CE/CME tracking and reporting. Using CE Broker Basic, you can track your course completion and report hours free of charge. There is no requirement that licensees sign up for any CE Broker account. It is an optional |
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tool that is being offered. SMBO randomly audits a percentage of practitioners CE/CME compliance during each renewal cycle. If you are selected for audit, you will be requested to respond to the audit via CE Broker. Click here to read more.
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Prescriber Compounding Rules, effective March 31
Effective 3/1/21, new rules for prescriber compounding go into effect. To assist licensees in complying with the new rule, the Board of Pharmacy published a prescriber compounding inspection guide.
The inspection guide aligns with internal guidance used by Pharmacy Board inspectors and allows licensees to conduct self-inspections to ensure compliance. The guide also includes links to the new rules, important definitions and reminders of when a licensee is required to submit notification or additional information to the Pharmacy Board.
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Board Seeks Subject Matter Experts
Family medicine, internal medicine and pain management
The State Medical Board of Ohio contracts with qualified medical experts for quality of care reviews. The board is currently seeking experts in family medicine, internal medicine and pain management. Potential experts should have a clinical practice within Ohio and be board-certified for a minimum of five years. If interested, email your CV to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov. |
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UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS
March 10
April 14
Meetings will be shared via livestream
CONTACT US
30 E. Broad Street, 3rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-3934
contact@med.ohio.gov
QUICK LINKS
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EMS PUBLIC RECORDS EXEMPTION
The board is updating its contact information in accordance with Ohio law. Please take a moment to complete* the short survey if you work as:
- An EMS medical director
- An EMS Regional Physician Advisory Board (RPAB) member
- A correctional institution employee
- A youth services employee
*If you have already completed the survey, you do not need to complete it again. |
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Update Your Address
Medical Board licensees are required to give notice of a change of address (residence, business or electronic) no later than 30 days after the change occurs.
Update your address > |
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Monthly Formal Action Report
Review summaries of the disciplinary actions initiated, and the disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Medical Board at its monthly meeting. An individual's license information can be found on
eLicense.
Monthly Formal Actions >
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