ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
REVISED
Requires the Allopathic
Board of Medical Examiners (BOMEX) to consider previous nondisciplinary and disciplinary actions
against a licensee when determining disciplinary action.
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.
According to BOMEX,
approximately 2,887 physicians receive multiple complaints on their
record. Of these physicians, 1,832 have
three or more complaints. Statute does
not authorize, require or prohibit
BOMEX to consider past nondisciplinary or disciplinary actions against a
licensee when determining disciplinary action.
According to BOMEX, Board members do examine records of past nondisciplinary
and disciplinary actions on a case by case basis. S.B. 1310 ensures past nondisciplinary and disciplinary actions
are used in all cases by requiring BOMEX to consider past nondisciplinary and
disciplinary actions against a licensee when determining disciplinary action.
According to
BOMEX, there are no costs associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires BOMEX to consider previous nondisciplinary and disciplinary actions against a licensee when determining disciplinary action.
2. Provides for a general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Health Committee
Changes the requirement of BOMEX to consider past complaints to nondisciplinary actions when determining disciplinary action.
Senate Action
HEA 2/13/01 DPA 7-0-1-0
Prepared by Senate Staff
February 16, 2001