Some of the highest rates of addiction among professionals are found among doctors and nurses. Both doctors and nurses must maintain professional licenses in order to practice, and these licenses can be taken away if a board determines that substance abuse is interfering with the performance of one’s job.

In these circumstances, hiring an attorney to represent you before the board will mean that you can feel confident your best case is being put forward and that you understand the process in which your license is at stake as well as your options moving forward.

Addiction in Healthcare Workers

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation allows licensees who have certain public disciplines on their records to classify them as confidential seven years after the disciplinary offense occurs. Specifically, the opportunity exists for licensees who have been disciplined for: failing to pay taxes or student loans; failing to complete the required number of continuing education credits; failing to renew a license on time; failing to obtain or renew a certificate of registration or ancillary license; violating rules related to advertising; or any ground for discipline that has been removed from the relevant licensing Act. When IDFPR grants these applications, the affected disciplinary actions are considered expunged.

The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc. can assist with expunging disciplinary actions or any other issues related to professional licenses. Contact our Illinois professional license defense lawyers at 630-310-1267.

Under Public Act 098-0668, Illinois amended the Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act to permit licensed psychologists to issue prescriptions to certain adult patients. Under the newer provisions of the law, a psychologist can apply for a prescribing psychologist license after completing advanced education and training in psychopharmacology and supervised clinical training.  Prescribing psychologists are required to enter into a collaborative agreement with an Illinois physician who generally prescribes medications to his or her patients in the course of his or her normal practice. This change is intended to improve access to comprehensive mental health treatment in Illinois.

The Law Offices of Joseph J. Bogdan, Inc. can answer your questions about licensing for psychologists, and we can assist with psychologist license defense for those who are facing disciplinary action. Contact an Illinois professional license defense attorney today at 630-310-1267.

Owning a pharmacy can not only be a rewarding endeavor, but it can also be one that is financially profitable. However, owning a pharmacy can take a lot of hard work, and that work begins with the purchase of the business.

According to industry experts, it is a sellers’ market as prospective pharmacy buyers outnumber sellers by a 2 to 1 ratio. Thus, buyers must act smartly and quickly if they see an opportunity to purchase a pharmacy. This is subject to change over the next few years as most pharmacy owners are over 50 years old and will be retiring in the coming years.

If you are in the market to purchase a pharmacy, consider taking the following steps.

Audits to your pharmacy can be made by insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers and third-party payers. Many pharmacy owners view audits as a threat to their business and with good reason.

The outcome of an audit can mean that a pharmacy is required to pay large sums of money that the auditing agency says it is owed. This could be taken out of what would be payments from future money that would be paid to the pharmacy.

Audits should be taken seriously, and often an attorney can safeguard a pharmacy’s rights as well as negotiate issues that may come up in the course of an audit.

Being a pharmacy owner can be a rewarding and profitable career. However, all careers must come to an end, and at some point, you will likely wish to sell your pharmacy. Pharmacy owners decide to sell for many reasons. The technology is ever-changing, and margins seem to become thinner with each year. However, the most common reason for the sale of a pharmacy is that the owner seeks to retire.

It is estimated that two-thirds of pharmacy owners are at or nearing retirement age. In the coming years, many pharmacies will experience a change in ownership. If you are looking to sell your pharmacy, there are a host of steps you can take to ease the process and to get top dollar for your business.

The selling process -- planning and executing the sale -- can take two to three years. In fact, many of the most successful sellers begin planning the sale when the pharmacy is bought. However, if you have a shorter timeline, many successful sales are prepared for in less time.

If you have received notice of an upcoming pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) audit, there are several things you can do to prepare. The consequences of a PBM audit are real and can be long-lasting. Going into an audit prepared is advisable.

Many clients find that adequate preparation can alleviate problems that can come up during an audit. A skilled PBM audit defense attorney can identify specific areas that you should focus on in the time before your pharmacy’s audit. However, typically you will benefit from taking the following steps:

• Review the written on-site audit notification. You want to pay close attention to the scope of the audit, including the date ranges that the audit will cover. The terms of the audit as stated in the letter should comply with your contract and will applicable laws. An attorney may be needed to determine compliance.
• Check the date of the proposed audit. This date should be a date when you and other needed personnel will be present. An audit should not be left to employees to handle.
• Create an audit file. This file or box should contain all correspondence, records, notes, and documentation of telephone calls related to the audit.
• Meet with your staff. Your staff should be prepared for the audit as well.
• Organize your records and conduct a self-audit. You should review what records you have as well as identify any problem areas that the PBM auditor may spot.
• Prepare a designated physical area for the audit. This area should be private. It should also be away from your employees’ spaces and pharmacy operations. Often a closed-off breakroom with a table and chair is suitable.

Contact an Illinois PBM Audit Attorney

If you have a professional counselor or clinical professional counselor license, you could be investigated at any time by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Depending on the results of the investigation, your matter may go to a hearing where your professional license would be at stake.

This hearing must follow specific rules and format, and your license cannot be revoked, suspended, or placed on probationary status unless these laws are followed. Having an attorney represent you means that you will know if these procedural laws are followed and it means that your best case will be put forward.

If the Department plans on refusing to issue or renew a license or if plans on disciplining a licensee, it must do the following 30 days prior to the hearing date:

It’s a letter you may never thought you’d open: a letter from the Illinois Medical Board telling you that a patient has filed a complaint against you. Maybe you feel betrayed by a patient who would not bring his complaints to you directly or maybe you are worried about the implications of such a complaint on your career and your practice.

Whatever your initial reaction, it is important to quickly get caught up to speed about what it will take to defend your medical license and resolve this situation.

• Understand the scope of a complaint. The Federation of State Medical Boards reports that in 2012 in the United States, of 878,194 actively licensed physicians, 4,479 were disciplined. That number is less than 1 percent of all doctors in this country. In many circumstances simply having a complaint filed against you means that the state board will conduct an investigation, even if it is plain that the complaint is groundless.
• Know what is at stake. Medical boards have great power over doctors' careers and livelihoods. These bodies can impose penalties that vary in severity from reprimands and fines to suspensions or revocations of medical licenses. Because of the range of punishments, it is helpful to speak with an attorney who understands this procedure and can discuss likely outcomes for the alleged acts.
• Respond promptly. One of the first mistakes a doctor in this situation can make is not opening the letter or let the letter gather dust. Failing to respond can carry a second set of consequences, and it is unwise to do so. It is important that you take control of the situation in any way you can. Contacting a license defense attorney at this juncture can help you stay on the correct timeline and can mean that the defense you present will be uniform from the start of the process.
• Know your weaknesses. During this time, it is imperative that you continue working at your practice, but that you do not receive any other complaints. Many doctors are surprised to find out that most complaints do not concern “bad doctoring” (incorrect diagnosis, poorly performed procedures, etc), but rather concern issues like billing, scheduling, confidentiality and possible criminal conduct.

Call an Illinois License Defense Lawyer

Provider burnout is real, and it can have serious implications for your career. Many people who are at risk of losing their professional license are also burned out. Remaining motivated in your job is crucial to your overall success as well as keeping you from facing your profession’s governing body.

Signs of Burnout

• Every day at work is a bad day;
• You are tired all the time;
• Your work becomes either overwhelming or very dull;
• You feel that your work goes unnoticed; and
• Caring about your job or home life seems like a waste of time.

How Can Burnout Affect Your Job

If you are part of a profession that requires a license and you have a child support obligation, you should be aware that failure to pay child support could mean that you will lose your professional license. Your professional license may be in jeopardy after only 30 days from when your child support payment becomes delinquent.

This only applies to court-ordered or court-approved child support payments. Informal agreements cannot be used as a basis for professional license suspension or revocation.

Other Licenses Could Also Be Revoked

Studying to become a nurse at the international level can prove to be a challenging yet rewarding experience. Learning about different nursing policies from all around the world can be a very interesting way to learn about how different cultures practice nursing. In Illinois, there are different licensing requirements for international applicants who wish to pursue their nursing license.

The Process of Obtaining the Nursing License for International Applicants

There are several requirements for the international applicant to successfully obtain his or her nursing license. The applicant must provide proof of licensure in the country from which he or she has received education for the license.

Obtaining your nursing education can be a very exciting accomplishment. All of the time that is spent studying and in clinicals will pay off in the end. When studying for your nursing license, there are different requirements for each type of nurse. The two most common job types in the nursing profession include registered nurses (RN’s) and nurses with their Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN’s), and there are certain requirements for each job type.

RN Requirements

If a nursing license applicant has become a registered nurse, he or she has passed the National Council Licensure Examination or the NCLEX. To take the NCLEX, the nursing license applicant must have earned either the Associates Degree in Nursing or a Bachelors of Science in Nursing.

Working toward your physician’s license takes a lot of time and effort. There is a lot of schooling and experience required before ever obtaining the physician’s license. However, there are different requirements to become a visiting physician in the state of Illinois, and the experience is often different than becoming a fully licensed physician in the state.

What Is a Visiting Physician?

A visiting physician is anyone who is not licensed in Illinois to practice medicine, but who has been invited or appointed to study a certain medical, osteopathic, chiropractic or clinical subject or technique in a medical, osteopathic, or chiropractic school or hospital in Illinois. The visiting physician must hold a visiting physician permit issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation.

Studying to become a nurse takes a lot of time and effort. There are many hours spent working toward the Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. After the degree has been received, then the graduate will need to apply for a nursing license to be able to practice in his or her chosen field. If the licensee is impaired for any reason, then there are steps that need to be taken to settle the situation.

Mandatory Reporting for the Impaired Nursing Licensee

If a licensed nurse is impaired on the job because of the use of alcohol or drugs, or if he or she unlawfully possesses, uses, or distributes drugs while on the job, then the institution that has knowledge of these actions may report the licensed nurse to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation. However, if the licensed nurse agrees to participate in a course of remedial professional counseling or substance abuse treatment, he or she may not need to be reported.

Dental school is a rigorous program that comes with many hours of studying and testing. There are some requirements to be a dental hygienist, and the duties of a dental hygienist are not the same as a dentist. Dental hygienists often work closely with the dentist and other personnel, but their duties as more restricted.

What Tasks Can a Dental Hygienist Perform?

In Illinois, a dental hygienist can perform the procedures of dental hygiene, dental health education functions, and all other procedures that may be performed by a trained dental assistant. A dental hygienist may also record observed case histories and oral conditions.

The medical field comes with many different challenges, as any occupation within this field is responsible for the health and well-being of patients who are treated. There are many different occupations in the medical field, and many individuals studying medicine begin their careers by becoming a physician assistant. Like physicians and many other medical occupations, there are licensing requirements for physician assistants, and it is very important to familiarize yourself with the requirements so there are no discrepancies in your application for licensure.

How Are Physician Assistants Important in Healthcare?

A physician assistant is a certified and state-licensed medical professional, and is very important in the medical field, as they have undergone extensive training and have passed an examination for licensure and certification. Like physicians, the physician assistants can also diagnose, treat, and prescribe medication. As physician assistants are very high in demand, the most successful healthcare facilities have relied on physician assistants for the success. From the years 2011 to 2014, the demand for physician assistants had increased by more than 300 percent.

Working toward the pharmacy license takes much time and effort. For domestic applicants, meaning those who have obtained education for the pharmacy license in the United States, the requirements are different from those who have obtained education for the pharmacy license internationally. There are tests that international applicants may have to take to determine their status of qualification for the pharmacy license.

The Application Process for International Applicants

Pharmacy license applicants who have graduated from a professional degree program from outside the United States or its territories should submit proof of a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee Certificate, or FPGEC. Also, the applicant needs to successfully pass the preliminary diagnostic examination, called the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Program, which determines the equivalence of education to approved programs.

Earning a psychology license takes a lot of work. The licensee has to take many classes on different aspects of psychology, depending on his or her chosen field. As there are many different career paths for an aspiring psychologist, the educational requirements are relatively similar. The licensee must obtain his or her Bachelor’s degree, as well as a Master’s, depending on the type of career he or she chooses to pursue. However, maintaining the psychologist license is not necessarily permanent, as there are ways for the licensee to lose his or her psychologist license.

Examples of Psychologist License Misconduct

There are many reasons why a licensee may lose his or her psychologist license. If there is any finding of unethical, unauthorized, and unprofessional conduct, then the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - Division of Professional Regulation has the right to suspend or revoke a psychologist license, refuse to issue or renew a license, or take other forms of disciplinary action if necessary

It takes many years to master the medical field, by taking a certain number of classes and shadowing licensed medical physicians. Many years are put into the effort of understanding all topics of the human body and how it works. After all of the hard work of finally obtaining the medical physician’s license, there are ways that the status of the credentials and qualifications for the medical physician’s licensure is verified, and that the applicant is still in good standing. It is very important to know for sure that you meet the requirements for licensure, as to avoid any potential legal issues in the future.

The License Verification Process

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) states that all applications must independently verify their qualifications for licensure. This is to make sure that all credentials are authentic. Credentials that have already been verified can be submitted from any organization where the requirements have been met, or the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS). It is not mandatory for applicants to submit the FCVS profile, as it is not required to obtain your medical physician’s license.