Attention: AHCA Clearinghouse Legacy Applications Downtime

AHCA Clearinghouse Legacy Applications Downtime

The background screening Clearinghouse Results Website will undergo scheduled maintenance as part of the ongoing efforts to update systems. Please make note of the following important information:

Downtime Schedule:

The Clearinghouse Results Website will be down from Friday, November 8th at 5:00 PM to Monday, November 18th at 8:00 AM. During this period, the system will be inaccessible for regular use as AHCA deploys the new system. This downtime could mean delays for applicants who get a LiveScan screening November 8 and thereafter.

New Legislation Impacting Your Profession

Posted in Latest News on April 17, 2018.

HB 21 - Controlled Substances

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 21 (Full Text)

Summary:
Creates section 456.0301, Florida Statutes, requiring practitioners to complete a specified board-approved continuing education course to prescribe controlled substances. The bill defines “acute pain” and establishes prescribing guidelines and grounds for disciplinary action if not followed. It limits opioid prescriptions for the treatment of acute pain to a specified period under certain circumstances and requires health care practitioners to check the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) database prior to prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance.

Additionally, the bill requires pain management clinics with an exemption from registration under section 458.3265 or 459.0137, Florida Statutes, to register their exemption with the Department of Health with no fee, and specifies a new certificate is required if a change of address occurs.

If you’d like to view all 2018 bills impacting health care professions, please go to www.flhealthsource.gov/2018-bills

HB 29 - Military and Veterans Affairs

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 29 (Full Text)

Summary:
Cited as the Don Hahnfeldt Veteran and Military Family Opportunity Act. Amends section 456.024, Florida Statutes, revising expedited licensure requirements for active duty military spouses to practice dentistry and eliminates the supervision level requirement for a temporary professional license for dentistry.

Authorizes licensing boards to recognize certain military-issued credentials earned by active duty military members and their spouses for purposes of issuing a license in a health care profession, and designates March 25th of each year as “Medal of Honor Day.”

HB 351 - Prescription Drug Pricing Transparency

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 351 (Full Text)

Summary:
Amends section 465.0244, Florida Statutes, providing requirements for pharmacists to inform customers of certain generically equivalent drug products and whether cost sharing obligations to such customers exceed the retail price of a prescription. Creates sections 624.490, 627.64741, 627.6572 and 641.314, Florida Statutes, establishing definitions, registration and duties involving prescription benefit managers and associated contracts. Repeals section 465.1862, Florida Statutes, regarding pharmacy benefits manager contracts.

HB 429 - Donation and Transfer of Human Tissue

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 429 (Full Text)

Summary:
Amends section 381.0421(12), Florida Statutes, to require the Department of Health to develop and publish on its website an educational pamphlet relating to certain tissue transplants. It also requires the educational pamphlet to include specified information relating to risks and benefits of human cells, tissue, and cellular and tissue-based product transplants.

HB 513 - Distributing Pharmaceutical Drugs and Devices

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 513 (Full Text)

Summary:
Revises an exception to pharmacy regulations (Chapter 465, Florida Statutes) for certain manufacturers and distributers of dialysis drugs or supplies.

HB 675 - Pharmacies

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
HB 675 (Full Text)

Summary:
Expands the eligibility for a membership seat on the Board of Pharmacy. Establishes and provides requirements for Class III institutional pharmacies and adds these pharmacies to those authorized to dispense prepackaged drug products.

If you’d like to view all 2018 bills impacting health care professions, please go to www.flhealthsource.gov/2018-bills

HB 1337 - Nursing

Effective Date: October 1, 2018
HB 1337 (Full Text)

Summary:
Amends the title of an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and makes conforming changes throughout the Florida Statutes. APRNs would be licensed instead of certified. Changes the title of a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to an APRN.

HB 7059 - Optometry

Effective Date: Upon becoming law.
HB 7059 (Full Text)

Summary:
Amends section 463.006, Florida Statutes, to require the Department to license an applicant for licensure and certification as an optometrist when the applicant meets specified requirements, and creates language relative to the time-period a national examination score can be accepted. Repeals language relating to the content of the licensure examination.

SB 510 - Reporting of Adverse Incidents in Planned Out-of-Hospital Births

Effective Date: Upon becoming law.
Senate Bill 510 (Full Text)

Summary:
Creates section 456.0495, Florida Statutes, which requires physicians, osteopathic physicians, nurse midwives, and licensed midwives who attended an attempted or completed non-hospital birth to report certain adverse incidents to the Department of Health (DOH). DOH is required to review the incident report and determine if the incident involves conduct that is subject to disciplinary action; then, if disciplinary action is necessary, DOH must refer the matter to the appropriate board, or to the department if there is no regulatory board. Requires the Department to adopt rules implementing this section and develop a form for reporting adverse incidents.

SB 622 - Health Care Facility Regulation

Effective Date: July 1, 2018
Senate Bill 622 (Full Text)

Summary:
Amends section 456.054, Florida Statutes, which provides that a designated facility owned or operated by a public health trust and located within the boundaries of a municipality is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the county creating the public health trust. Eliminates state licensure requirements for clinical laboratories, and requires a birth center to be federally certified and to meet specified requirements to perform certain laboratory tests.

If you’d like to view all 2018 bills impacting health care professions, please go to www.flhealthsource.gov/2018-bills



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