Frequently Asked Questions

NCCPA certification is required to obtain a PA license. However, a PA is not required to maintain a NCCPA certification for licensure in Florida. If the PA elects not to be certified, he/she will be required to obtain 100 hours of CME for renewal of his/her license. A PA with the certification is only required to document the certification and completion of the required core courses in prevention of medical errors and, every third biennium, the domestic violence course.

Yes. Currently there is no specific law that states a physician may not prescribe to family members.

Visit the Office for Civil Rights website for information to assist patients and families in understanding HIPAA privacy rights and procedures and for information on filing a complaint or see the HHS.gov FAQ http://www.hhs.gov/answers/hipaa/where-can-i-find-information-about-health-information-privacy/index.html

Prescribing physician assistants must complete 10 hours of CME in each specialty area of the supervising physician. These hours are included in the 98 general CME. Effective January 1, 2017, three of the ten specialty hours must consist of a course on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications given by a statewide professional association of physicians in this state accredited to provide educational activities designated for the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award Category I credit or designated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants as a Category I credit.

Log into your MQA Online Services Portal account and select Request Retired Status during renewal or Request Retired Status after Expiration Date outside of renewal from the “Manage My License” pulldown menu.

The retired status license cannot and does not need to be renewed by the normal renewal process and you will no longer receive notifications from the Department of Health. Please be aware that physicians choosing to change the retired status to active status will be required to pay all past renewal fees, enter into CE Broker all continuing medical education credits from each biennium since the license was last renewed and, if the physician has not practiced within the past 5 years, complete the Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) given by the Federation of State Medical Boards will be required for reactivating the license.

Log into your MQA Online Services Portal account and select Request Inactive Status from the “Manage My License” pulldown menu.

After Expiration:

Log into your MQA Online Services Portal account and select Request Inactive Status after Expiration Date from the “Manage My License” pulldown menu.

NOTE: Your inactive status license must be renewed prior to the expiration date. Reactivation of your license will require verification that you have completed the required continuing education during the period since your last active renewal. Licenses that have been inactive for over 4 years must provide proof of the practice of medicine during their inactive status. Employment does not have to have been in Florida. Licensees who have been inactive for over 4 years and have not practiced medicine during that time must complete the SPEX exam. If the license is not renewed after two consecutive biennial licensure cycles, the license will expire and the physician will have to reapply for licensure meeting the current licensure requirements.

In accordance with section 456.44(2), Florida Statutes, an allopathic physician licensed under Chapter 458, an osteopathic physician licensed under Chapter 459, a podiatric physician licensed under Chapter 461, a dentist licensed under Chapter 466, a physician assistant licensed under Chapter 458 or Chapter 459, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner certified under part I of Chapter 464 who prescribes any controlled substance listed as Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV or Schedule V narcotics as defined in s. 893.03, for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain, must designate himself or herself as a controlled substance prescribing practitioner on the practitioner profile.
To designate oneself as a controlled substance prescribing practitioner as provided in section 456.44, Florida Statutes:
Visit our secure “Online Services” website at: https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datamart/voservicesportal
If you have not created an account in our new Online Services Portal, click “No” and follow the instructions provided to complete your one-time account registration.
In you have already created an account, click “Yes” and log in using your MQA Online Services user ID and password. This is the same user ID and password used to renew your license online.
Under the “Manage My License” section, select “Controlled Substance Prescribing” and follow the instructions to indicate you are a prescriber of controlled substances for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain.
Note: The online system can assist you if you do not remember your login ID or password. If you are unable to login please call 850-488-0595 and a representative will assist you.
“Chronic nonmalignant pain” is defined as pain unrelated to cancer which persists beyond the usual course of disease or the injury that is the cause of the pain or more than 90 days after surgery.

The Board of Medicine makes available to the public the following materials seven days prior to each meeting: Florida Administrative Register notices, meeting agendas and meeting public books while also providing the meeting audio and meeting minutes within 7 days after the meeting. The following materials will remain on our website for one year to the date of the meeting: meeting agendas, meeting audio and meeting minutes while the following materials will be removed from our website within two weeks after the date of the meeting: meeting public books and Florida Administrative Register notices.

You may search for or request public records at our Public Records website. There you will find information such as meeting agendas, meeting audio, meeting minutes, meeting public books, license verifications, disciplinary records, and declaratory statements.

Not unless an order requiring supervision has been issued by the Board of Medicine.

Their scope of practice is not limited but an ACN physician may only practice in an approved facility.

You may change locations after licensure but must follow these requirements:

• The new location must be on the department’s list of approved facilities.
• You must notify the Board of Medicine office within 30 days of changing locations.

You have been licensed to practice only in a facility approved as an area of critical need. Practicing in any other location that is not an approved facility is a violation of the conditions of your license.

However, you may practice in multiple locations that are designated as areas of critical need and are on the department’s approved facility list. If you want to add locations after initial licensure, you must notify the Board of Medicine office within 30 days of adding practice locations.