ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
Replaces two physician
members with two public members on the Allopathic Board of Medical Examiners
(BOMEX).
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 550 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.
Pursuant to statute, BOMEX
consists of 12 governor-appointed members, eight of whom are physicians and
four of whom are public members. One of
the public members must be a licensed practical nurse or a professional
nurse. In 1995 the Legislature
increased the number of public members from two to three, and in 2000 the
Legislature classified the registered nurse member as a public member. S.B. 1308 changes the composition of BOMEX
by replacing two physician members with two public members. This results in a total membership of six
physicians and six public members. One
of the new public members must have experience as a hospital trustee and the
other must be a licensed pharmacist.
According
to BOMEX, there are no costs associated with this bill.
Provisions
1. Replaces two physician members in BOMEX with one public member who has experience as a hospital trustee and one public member who is a licensed pharmacist.
2. Requires the Governor to appoint the new public members upon the next two vacancies of physician members.
3. Makes conforming changes.
4. Provides for a general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Staff
February 9, 2001