Signed by Governor Nathan Deal

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires pain management clinics to be licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, effective July 1, 2013.

Highlights:

• Requires pain management clinics to be licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board and to renew their licenses biannually with the Board, which may deny, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew pain management licenses (Sec. 2). 

• Defines a “pain management clinic” as a medical practice advertising “treatment of pain”, utilizing “pain” in the name of the clinic, or a medical practice or clinic with greater than 50 percent of patients being treated for chronic pain for nonterminal conditions with controlled substances (Sec. 2).

• Requires all pain management clinics that dispense controlled substances or dangerous drugs to register with the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy (Sec. 2).

• Requires new pain management clinics to be owned by physicians licensed in the state of Georgia, effective June 30, 2013 (Sec. 2).

• Exempts pain management clinics existing on June 30, 2013, from the requirement of physician ownership if (Sec. 2):
• The clinic is jointly owned by 1 or more physicians and 1 or more physician assistants or advanced practice registered nurses; or
• The person or entity that owns the clinic operates only 1 pain management clinic in Georgia.

• Prohibits an individual convicted of a felony or an individual who has had their license to prescribe or dispense controlled substances suspended or revoked from owning a pain management clinic (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes the board to establish minimum standards of continuing medical education for all physicians owning a pain management clinic (Sec. 2). 

Full Bill Text