| federal-and-state-efforts-underway-to-facilitate-international-medical-graduates-into-us-practice | Federal and State Efforts Underway to Facilitate International Medical Graduates into US Practice | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/march-21/federal-and-state-efforts-underway-to-facilitate-international-medical-graduates-into-us-practice | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>March 21, 2025</h5>
<h2>Federal and State Efforts Underway to Facilitate International Medical Graduates into US Practice </h2>
<p>In recent years, policymakers have shown increasing interest in addressing health care workforce challenges by reducing licensure barriers to better facilitate international medical graduates into our health care systems. In response, the Federation of State Medical Boards, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and other national organizations representing specialty certification and medical education have <a href="https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/pdf/fsmb-intealth-acgme-establish-advisory-commission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">formed an advisory commission</a> on alternative physician licensing models.</p>
<p>The purpose of the commission is to develop recommendations for state medical boards and lawmakers on licensure requirements and state-level alternative practice pathways for physicians who completed training and/or practiced outside of the United States. The first set of recommendations was released last month and focuses on IMG eligibility requirements and other considerations for entry into alternative licensing pathways. This slate of recommendations is available to review in full <a href="https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/communications/acalm-guidance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">here</a>. The next round of recommendations is expected to be available later this year and will include suggested requirement criteria for transitioning an IMG from provisional to full and unrestricted licensure.</p>
<p>Additionally, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education has formed its own advisory committee to develop a curriculum and acclimation plan for IMGs entering practice in the U.S. This effort is intended to help align the work of state medical societies, licensing boards, and employers and will consider onboarding and training supports, such as working with electronic medical records, billing systems, insurance processes, etc. The advisory committee's work is currently in progress through April 2025.</p>
<p>At the state level, <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=5118&amp;Year=2025&amp;Initiative=false">Senate Bill 5118</a> would make updates to the clinical experience license, a limited license that was implemented in 2021 intended to help IMGs gain U.S. clinical experience. The WSMA secured a number of changes to the bill and is supportive of the legislation moving forward in the legislative process. Additionally, the Washington Medical Commission has created a <a href="https://www.fsmb.org/siteassets/advocacy/pdf/fsmb-intealth-acgme-establish-advisory-commission.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">clinical experience assessment form</a>, which is designed to evaluate the readiness of IMGs for residency programs in Washington and to serve as a tool for physician assessors. The form utilizes an "entrustment" scale to evaluate the IMG's competence in various clinical tasks, aiding both the assessor and the IMG in identifying areas of strength and those requiring improvement.</p>
<p>Assessors are encouraged to use the clinical experience assessment quarterly throughout the training program until the IMG achieves a passing score in all competencies, indicating readiness for residency. It is important to note that the clinical experience assessment is not a component of the residency application process nor a qualification for residency. The Washington Medical Commission plans to develop a monitoring system to track the effectiveness of the clinical experience assessment, identifying challenges and areas for improvement in IMG pre-residency training. Completed clinical experience assessment forms should be retained for four years and made available upon request. If you have any questions about the form, <a href="mailto:medical.policy@wmc.wa.gov">contact the Washington Medical Commission</a>.</p>
</div> | 3/21/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| feedback-requested-on-pqac-white-bagging-and-brown-bagging-rulemaking | Feedback Requested on PQAC 'White Bagging' and 'Brown Bagging' Rulemaking | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/march-21/feedback-requested-on-pqac-white-bagging-and-brown-bagging-rulemaking | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>March 21, 2025</h5>
<h2>Feedback Requested on PQAC 'White Bagging' and 'Brown Bagging' Rulemaking </h2>
<p>The Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission has begun rulemaking specific to alternative distribution models or, as they are more commonly referred to, "white bagging" and "brown bagging," of injectable medications. The <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WADOH/2025/03/14/file_attachments/3197336/Alternate%20Distribution%20Model%20Rule%20Language%20Draft%20-%20March%202025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">draft under consideration</a> proposes the banning of brown bagging, which would mean facilities are prohibited from receiving prescriptions that have been received, stored, and handled by the patient or patient's representative.</p>
<p>The draft allows for white bagging, the delivery of specialty medications to the physician for administration, when certain circumstances are met. Those circumstances include: </p>
<ul>
<li>When the receiving facility cannot directly procure the filled prescription through standard distribution channels such as a manufacturer, wholesaler, or outsourcing facility.</li>
<li>When the receiving facility cannot compound the filled prescription at the health care facility where the filled prescription will be administered by a health care professional.</li>
</ul>
<p>The draft rule does not apply to: </p>
<ul>
<li>Filled prescriptions sent by dispensing facilities to receiving facilities that are under common ownership or control of a corporate entity via an intracompany transfer.</li>
<li>Filled prescriptions sent by a compounding pharmacy or registered outsourcing facility based on an order made by the receiving facility.</li>
<li>Filled prescriptions for home infusion patients.</li>
</ul>
<p>The <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WADOH/2025/03/14/file_attachments/3197336/Alternate%20Distribution%20Model%20Rule%20Language%20Draft%20-%20March%202025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">complete rule draft is available here</a> and we encourage your review. Should you have feedback on the rules, please email <a href="mailto:billie@wsma.org">WSMA Associate Policy Director Billie Dickinson.</a> </p>
</div> | 3/21/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |
| share-your-opposition-to-expanded-pharmacist-prescriptive-authority | Share Your Opposition to Expanded Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority | Latest_News | Shared_Content/News/advocacy-report/2025/march-21/share-your-opposition-to-expanded-pharmacist-prescriptive-authority | <div class="col-md-12">
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<h5>March 21, 2025</h5>
<h2>Share Your Opposition to Expanded Pharmacist Prescriptive Authority </h2>
<p>The Washington State Department of Health is conducting a sunrise review of House Bill 2116, which would expand prescriptive authority for pharmacists. The bill, brought forward by the <a href="https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-12/ApplicantReportPharmScope.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Washington State Pharmacy Association</a>, would move our state away from the collaborative drug therapy agreement currently being utilized and would instead grant the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission the ability to determine a pharmacist's prescriptive authority. We are not aware of any precedent in our state for this level of legislative delegation of authority for setting scope of practice to a board or commission.</p>
<p>The proposal contemplates pharmacists treating "minor ailments, initiating and modifying treatment for chronic conditions, providing preventative care, and managing emergency situations that present in a pharmacy." There are no specifically stipulated&nbsp;additional education or training requirements for pharmacists providing these services.</p>
<p>We have concerns not limited to patient safety and care coordination, as this proposal doesn't include any meaningful safeguards. Furthermore, the Legislature-not a regulatory board-is responsible for setting a profession's scope of practice, and this bill would set a precedent for both the practice of pharmacy and other professions.</p>
<p><strong>Written comments and due back to the DOH by April 1. </strong>If you share our opposition to this proposal, we encourage you to share your comments by <a href="mailto:sunrise@doh.wa.gov.">emailing the department of health</a>. <strong>The DOH will also be holding a public hearing on the proposal on Wednesday, March 14 at 1 p.m. via Zoom. </strong>If you have questions on this sunrise review or how to best engage, please contact <a href="mailto:billie@wsma.org">WSMA Associate Policy Director Billie Dickinson.</a> </p>
</div> | 3/20/2025 12:00:00 AM | 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM |