While there are no scope of practice bills on any agenda for this week (yet), some issues could be heard the week of February 8th. We hope to get a clearer picture soon regarding how these scope of practice issues will be handled in committee. Please keep a…
From AMS Executive Vice President David Wroten: Late last week, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a ruling that disqualifies Issue 6, the referendum on Act 579, from the ballot. While it may still appear on most printed ballots, the votes will not be counted. This came about after…
Legislative Highlights from the 2019 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly AMS actively tracked and worked 237 of the 1670 bills filed in the 2019 legislative session. The following bills represent some of the more high-profile issues AMS successfully fought for, amended and/or monitored closely that we…
Today the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the Arkansas Secretary of State must continue to count the ballot referendum signatures that were collected earlier this year to place Act 579 (optometric surgery) on next year’s ballot. The lawsuit, brought by Safe Surgery Arkansas, challenged the Secretary of State’s…
According to a new statewide poll, nearly 65% of Arkansas voters oppose legislation that would allow optometrists to perform eye surgeries with lasers and scalpels. Currently, only specially trained medical doctors, such as ophthalmologists, can perform those types of procedures. The poll, conducted by Impact Management Group for…
The Arkansas Medical Society is seeking a few more physician volunteers for the 2018 Fiscal Session at the State Capitol. The doctor of the day should plan to arrive at the State Capitol Infirmary around 9:00 a.m. The daily session usually concludes about 2:30 p.m. (or sometimes earlier.)…
Little Rock - A coalition representing a diverse group of Arkansans has joined together to support commonsense reforms that will help make Arkansas more competitive with surrounding states and protect everyday Arkansans. Paperwork was filed today for Arkansans for Jobs and Justice to advocate for the passage of…
On Thursday, August 3, 2017, the Arkansas State Medical Board will hold public hearings on several proposed rule amendments and new rules. Comments can be submitted to the Board until the August 3rd public hearing. Among the proposals: Amendment to Regulation 2(4), listing the prescribing of excessive amounts…
AMS actively tracked and worked 342 of the 2,069 bills filed in the 2017 legislative session. The following bills represent some of more high-profile issues AMS successfully fought for, amended and/or monitored closely that we anticipate will have more of an impact on you, your patients and your practice: Physician…
"Where's my doctor?" We get that question a lot. It happens often when a physician leaves a practice, usually as an employee. Under most employment contracts the practice – either under hospital or physician ownership – retains ownership of the medical records when a physician leaves. However, the departing physician has a relationship with…
The AMS office has received several calls over the past couple of weeks about Act 820, which mandates checking the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program prior to prescribing certain medications. Apparently, some hospitals are incorrectly telling their medical staff that the Act is already in effect. In other cases,…