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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates

Useful up to date COVID-19 Vaccine information

COVID-19 Vaccine information for health professionals

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has information on the Coronavirus Disease for both healthcare professionals and the general public which is updated regularly, as new information becomes available. Read more here.

Have you downloaded COVIDWISE, Virginia's COVID-19 exposure notification app? Add your phone to the fight here.

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Electronic Prescribing of Opioids

Initially passed in 2018, opioid prescriptions must be transmitted to the pharmacy electronically. There are exceptions in the law which can be found here.
If you've reviewed the law and would like to request a waiver, please click here to complete the waiver application.

Scam Alert

The Department of Health Professions (DHP) has been made aware that some licensees have received fraudulent communications from individuals claiming to be from one of our licensing boards, such as the Board of Pharmacy, or another agency, such as the DEA. The communications, often by phone, may threaten arrest or license suspension, demand personal information, or require the payment of fines. Read More.

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Temporary waiver to reinstate or reactivate

Temporary waiver to reinstate or reactivate a license for a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or a respiratory therapist - Issued March 23, 2020,Second Amendment September 8, 2020.

During the period in which the Governor’s Declaration of Emergency is in effect, the Board of Medicine will waive the regulations relating to fees and continuing education for reinstatement or reactivation of licensure for doctors of medicine, osteopathic medicine, physician assistants, and respiratory therapists who held an unencumbered, active license within the past four years.* 

Please submit an email to medbd@dhp.virginia.gov or call 804-367-4600 (Option 2) to request reinstatement/reactivation.

*All applicants are reminded to check with their malpractice carriers on the status of liability coverage, when opting to return to active practice.

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Application for Reactivation/Reinstatement during COVID-19 Emergency

The Board of Medicine has made accommodations to the licensing process during the COVID-19 emergency.  For those who held an unencumbered license within the last 4 years, the fees and continuing education requirements will be waived.  Here is the link to the required application.

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COVID-19 - Expedited Licensure

During the declared coronavirus emergency in Virginia, the board of medicine is streamlining its licensing process for the following professions: medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, physician assistant, podiatry, and respiratory therapy. The following are not required in the application process:

• Transcripts of professional education 
• Form b employment verifications
• State verifications of licensure

In addition, the Board already has an expedited licensure by endorsement process for medicine and osteopathy applicants who:

• Have practiced in another state for 5 years
• Are board certified

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Physician Assistant Announcement

Pursuant to Executive Order 57 Physician assistants licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia with two or more years of clinical experience may practice in their area of knowledge and expertise and may prescribe without a written or electronic practice agreement until September 8, 2020.

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Telemedicine Services for Virginia Residents during COVID-19 Emergency

During the COVID-19 emergency, and in the interest of continuity of care, professionals licensed in other states and the District of Columbia are authorized to provide telemedicine services to Virginia residents with whom they have an established practitioner-patient relationship. Establishing a new relationship with a Virginia resident requires a license from the Virginia Board of Medicine.

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Relaxation of HIPAA Enforcement for Telehealth

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services is relaxing its enforcement of HIPAA regulations governing telehealth during the COVID-19 National Emergency.  Please read the notice here.

The OCR statement applies to the Board’s guidance document on telehealth, which you can access here.

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Out of State Licensure Exception for Practitioners Assisting in Hospitals, Licensed Nursing Facilities and Dialysis Facilities:

Amended June 11, 2020

During the state of emergency declared in Amended Executive Order 51, a license issued to a health care practitioner by another state, and in good standing with such state, shall be deemed to be an active license issued by the Commonwealth to provide health care or professional services as a health care practitioner of the same type for which such license is issued in another state, provided such health care practitioner is engaged by a hospital, or an affiliate of such hospital where both share the same corporate parent, licensed nursing facility, or dialysis facility in the Commonwealth for the purpose of assisting that facility with public health and medical disaster response operations. Hospitals, licensed nursing facilities, and dialysis facilities must submit to the applicable licensing authority each out-of-state health care practitioner’s name, license type, state of license, and license identification number within a reasonable time of such healthcare practitioner providing services at the applicable health care facility in the Commonwealth. Health care practitioners with active licenses issued by other states who notified the applicable licensing authority under this Executive Order and were engaged by a physician’s office or other health care facility that is not a hospital, nursing facility, or dialysis facility may continue to practice in the Commonwealth for an additional 30 days from the date of this Order and may apply for licensure in the Commonwealth in order to continue providing services to patients located in Virginia.

The full text of EO-57, EO-51 and EO-42 can be viewed here.

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Medicaid Expansion

Health care providers serving Virginians can learn about Medicaid Expansion at the Department of Medical Assistance Services web site.

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Controlled Substances CE Requirements - Updated

Every 2 years, licensees with prescriptive authority must complete 2 hours of continuing education (CE) in pain management, proper prescribing of controlled substances, and the diagnosis and management of addiction. For the upcoming biennium, the Board has developed a package of activities that will satisfy the requirement for 2 hours of Type 1 CE for renewal in 2020-2021. Here is the link to the package.

Licensees who do not wish to use the Board's 2-hour package for their opioid CE are responsible for finding Type 1 activities that relate to pain management, proper prescribing of controlled substances, and the diagnosis and management of addiction.

2020-2021 Opioid Continuing Education

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Certification for the Use of Cannabidiol Oil or THC-A Oil

House Bill 1251 was signed by Governor Northam on March 9, 2018 and became effective the same day. The new law authorizes a practitioner of medicine or osteopathy to issue a certification for the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment or to alleviate the symptoms of any diagnosed condition or disease determined by the practitioner to benefit from such use. Click here to find out more.

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Regulations Governing Prescribing of Opioids and Buprenorphine - effective August 8, 2018

Click here to view the Regulations Governing Prescribing of Opioids and Buprenorphine, August 8, 2018

FAQs on the Prescribing of Opioids for Pain and Prescribing of Buprenorphine for Addiction

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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Click here for Information on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Public Health Information
Important Public Health Information from the Department of Health