Arizona Laws 32-3106. Health professional groups; proposed increased scope of practice; factors; legislation
A. A health professional group that is seeking an increased scope of practice shall explain each of the following factors:
Terms Used In Arizona Laws 32-3106
- Certification: means a voluntary process by which a regulatory entity grants recognition to an individual who has met certain prerequisite qualifications specified by that regulatory entity and who may assume or use the word "certified" in a title or designation to perform prescribed health professional tasks. See Arizona Laws 32-3101
- Health professional group: means any health professional group or organization, any individual or any other interested party that proposes that any health professional group not presently regulated be regulated or that proposes to increase the scope of practice of a health profession. See Arizona Laws 32-3101
- including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
- Increase the scope of practice: means to engage in conduct beyond the authority granted to a health profession by law. See Arizona Laws 32-3101
- Registration: means the formal notification that, before rendering services, a practitioner shall submit to a state agency setting forth the name and address of the practitioner, the location, nature and operation of the health activity to be practiced and, if required by a regulatory entity, a description of the service to be provided. See Arizona Laws 32-3101
- Regulatory entity: means any board, commission, agency or department of this state that regulates one or more health professions in this state. See Arizona Laws 32-3101
1. Why an increased scope of practice is beneficial, including the extent to which health care consumers need and will benefit from safe, quality care from practitioners with this scope of practice.
2. Whether those health professionals seeking an increased scope of practice currently have or will be required to have didactic and clinical education from accredited professional schools or training from recognized programs that prepare them to perform the proposed scope of practice, and details on what that education or training includes for that proposed scope of practice.
3. Whether the subject matter of the proposed increased scope of practice is currently tested by nationally recognized and accepted examinations for applicants for professional licensure and the details of the examination relating to the increased scope of practice.
4. The extent to which the proposed increased scope of practice will impact the practice of those who are currently licensed in this state or the entry into practice of those individuals who have relocated from other states with substantially equivalent requirements for registration, certification or licensure as this state.
5. The extent to which implementing the proposed increased scope of practice may result in savings or a cost to this state and to the public.
6. The relevant health profession licensure laws, if any, in this or other states.
7. Recommendations, if any, from the applicable regulatory entity or entities, from the department of health services and from accredited educational or training programs.
B. The legislature shall review any legislation to increase the scope of practice according to the following criteria:
1. Any limit on a health profession’s scope of practice must be only for the purpose of protecting the public from a specific harm or danger.
2. Whether the addition of adequately trained health professionals providing an expanded range of professional health care services will have a beneficial effect to the public and increase access to safe, quality care.
3. Whether any changes in the health profession’s regulatory entity are necessary to adequately protect the public.
C. The legislature shall not consider either of the following in its review of legislation to increase the scope of practice:
1. Competition from or with other licensed professions.
2. The ability or inability to obtain health insurance coverage for the proposed increased scope of practice.