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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
health professionals; preceptorships
Purpose
Requires certain health profession regulatory boards (boards) to develop a preceptorship awareness campaign. Allows a physician to dispense certain medications under the dispensing registration of the medical director of an emergency department under specified conditions.
Background
Boards are specifically tasked with regulating various health professionals in Arizona. Health professionals are persons who are certified or licensed by a board for: 1) podiatry; 2) chiropractic; 3) dentistry; 4) medicine and surgery as a physician; 5) naturopathic medicine; 6) nursing; 7) dispensing opticians; 8) optometry; 9) osteopathic medicine; 10) pharmacy; 11) physical therapy; 12) psychology; 13) veterinary medicine; 14) medicine as a physician assistant; 15) radiologic technology; 16) homeopathic medicine; 17) behavioral health; 18) occupational therapy; 19) respiratory care; 20) acupuncture; 21) athletic training; 22) massage therapy; 23) nursing care institutions and assisted living facilities; 24) midwifery; or 25) hearing aid dispensers, audiologists and speech-language pathologists (A.R.S. § 32-3201). Current statute allows a board to grant authority to their director to issue and approve a preceptorship to applicants who meet certain criteria, including fulfilling all board-specific preceptorship requirements (A.R.S. § 32-3123).
Currently, the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board issues certificates to eligible persons wishing to participate in a preceptorship. In order to be eligible, a person must have graduated from an approved school with a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree and submit an application to the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board with an $100 initial fee. After obtaining certification, the person may engage in a preceptorship under the direct supervision of a licensed naturopathic physician. A preceptorship is a training program approved or recognized by the Naturopathic Physicians Medical Board for physicians or graduates of a naturopathic medicine school (A.R.S. §§ 32-1501; 32-1524; 32-1527; and 32-1561).
The Department of Health Services (DHS) provides and coordinates public health services and programs in Arizona by licensing and regulating various health care providers and health care institutions (A.R.S. § 36-132).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the Arizona Medical Board, the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery, the Arizona State Board of Nursing and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants to develop a preceptorship awareness campaign that educates licensed health professionals on how to become a medical preceptor for students and the benefits of being a medical preceptor.
2. Allows a medical preceptor to request to display their place of business and contact information on the online medical preceptorship availability list, in a manner prescribed by DHS rule.
3. Defines preceptorship as a mentoring experience in which a medical preceptor provides a program of personalized instruction, training and supervision to a student to enable the student to obtain a health professional degree.
4. Excludes, from the definition of preceptorship, mentoring about abortion.
5. Defines medical preceptor as a licensed health professional who maintains an active practice in Arizona.
6. Defines student as an individual who is:
a) matriculating at the graduate level at an accredited higher education institution in Arizona; and
b) seeking a health professional degree to become licensed as specified.
7. Permits a physician who dispenses no more than a two-day supply of a medication that is a noncontrolled substance kept by a health care institution to dispense the medication under the dispensing registration of the medical director of a health care institution's emergency department, if the physician:
a) only dispenses to patients of the health care institution's emergency department for conditions diagnosed or treated at the emergency department; and
b) only works at the health care institution's emergency department.
8. Makes technical and conforming changes.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Adds the Board of Nursing as an entity required to develop a preceptorship awareness campaign.
2. Removes the requirement that DHS administer an online preceptorship availability list.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Removes language exempting DHS from specified rulemaking requirements.
Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives
1. Allows specified physicians to dispense certain medications under the dispensing registration of the medical director of an emergency department under outlined conditions.
2. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action House Action
HHS 2/10/21 DPA 8-0-0 HHS 3/22/21 DPA 8-0-0-1
3rd Read 2/22/21 30-0-0 3rd Read 4/5/21 60-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
April 6, 2021
CRS/kja