ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
Requires the Allopathic Board of Medical Examiners
(BOMEX) to provide a doctor with all investigative information at the formal
interview.
The objective and primary purpose of BOMEX is to license and regulate doctors in order to protect the public from incompetent, unqualified or inappropriate practice by physicians who may be medically, mentally or physically unable to safely engage in the practice of allopathic medicine, or may be guilty of unprofessional conduct. As the State’s largest health regulatory board, BOMEX has the statutory responsibility to examine and license medical doctors, and to enforce the standards of the practice of medicine. Currently, BOMEX licenses and monitors more than 15,000 doctors and 750 physician assistants statewide, handles more than 1,000 complaints each year and determines and administers disciplinary actions in the event of proven violations of the medical practice acts.
When a complaint is filed
against a physician, two summary letters are provided to the physician during
the course of the investigation. The
first is provided on receipt of the complaint, and outlines the specific
grievances filed by the patient. The
second is presented to the physician prior to the formal interview, and
contains an additional summary of complaint, the analysis and conclusion of a
staff medical consultant and the investigators’ conclusion and recommendations
to the board members. S.B. 1199
requires BOMEX to release all investigative materials to the physician. According to BOMEX, there is no mechanism to
protect the confidentiality of these materials once released to the physician.
BOMEX estimates there will
be a cost to the Board relating to the provisions of this legislation, but have
yet not determined an exact amount.
1. Requires BOMEX to provide a doctor with all investigative information at the formal interview.
2. Prohibits BOMEX from releasing the name of the person who provides information regarding a licensee’s drug or alcohol impairment.
3. Makes a technical change.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
February 9, 2001