See all COVID-19 announcements.

Governor Northam Directs Postponement of Elective Surgeries

Governor Ralph Northam and State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, MD, MA today directed all hospitals to stop performing elective surgeries or procedures to help conserve supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Licensed inpatient and outpatient surgical hospitals, free-standing endoscopy centers, physicians’ offices, and dental, orthodontic, and endodontic offices may perform any procedure or surgery that if delayed or canceled would result in the patient’s condition worsening. Outpatient surgical hospitals are encouraged to work with local inpatient hospitals to assist with surge capacity needs. The full text of Order of Public Health Emergency Two is available here.

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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

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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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, or Dialysis Facilities:

In response to Governor Northam’s declared state of emergency regarding COVID-19, and as authorized by Executive Order 42, 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, 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 arriving at the applicable health care facility in the Commonwealth.
The full text of EO-42 and EO-51 can be viewed here.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Updates

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness, called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 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.

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Scam Alert

The Board has become aware that some of its licensees have received bogus communications, as have health care professionals in other states. The communications are designed to appear to be from the Virginia Board of Medicine. Some of the documents may have an "official" look to them, but they are fraudulent. Read More.

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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

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 2019-2020. 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.

2019-2020 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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Procedure for Verification of Licensure

The Virginia Board of Medicine has teamed up with VeriDoc, Inc. to provide immediate verifications of licensure for our physicians and physician assistants to other state medical boards.

If you need a verification of your Virginia MD, DO, PA, Resident, or University Limited license sent to another state medical board, go to www.veridoc.org and follow the instructions to create and send an immediate verification. The fee charged by VeriDoc is $10.00.

If you need to have a verification of licensure sent to any entity other than a state medical board, or if your license type is not included above, please complete a Virginia license verification request form and submit with the appropriate processing fee.

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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