New Standards for Pain Clinics in Florida Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    Contact: Office of Communications
November 12, 2010                                850-245-4111

STANDARDS OF PRACTICE RULES FOR PHYSICIANS PRACTICING IN PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINICS ADOPTED

TALLAHASSEE -- The standards of practice rules for physicians practicing in pain management clinics have been adopted. The requirement to create these rules was part of legislation in 2009 and 2010 signed into law by Governor Crist.  The Board of Osteopathic Medicine rules went into effect on November 8, 2010, and the Board of Medicine rules will be in effect on November 28, 2010. 

 Fred Bearison, M.D, Chair of the Boards  joint committee created to recommend the standards, stated, "This set of model standards created to tackle prescription drug abuse has been a pioneering effort that greatly benefited from the participation of patients, practitioners, health care organizations, and the legal and administrative staff of both boards. "

The rules are located at:  www.flhealthsource.com

Other rules impacting pain management clinics are still in the rulemaking process.  These rules will address the following:

• How national organizations can be approved to accredit clinics. The law allows clinics to have such accreditation in lieu of an annual Department inspection,
• The maximum number of prescriptions for Schedule II or Schedule III controlled substances or the controlled substance Alprazolam, which may be written at any one registered pain-management clinic during any 24-hour period, and
• The training requirements for medical doctors (M.D.) practicing at pain management clinics. The training requirements for osteopathic doctors (D.O.) are included in the rules that went into effect on November 8, 2010.

The Florida Department of Health is now inspecting pain management clinics for compliance with the provisions of the new pain management statute that went into effect on October 1, 2010. Inspections will be expanded to check for compliance with these new rules starting in 2011. 
The mission of the Department of Health and MQA is to promote, protect and improve the health of all people in Florida.  Working in conjunction with 22 boards and six councils, MQA regulates six types of facilities and more than 40 health care professions.  MQA evaluates the credentials of all applicants for licensure, issues licenses, analyzes and investigates complaints, inspects facilities, assists in prosecuting practice act violations, combats unlicensed activity and provides credential and discipline history about licensees to the public.  Visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/ for additional information about MQA.
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