State Board of Medicine General Revisions and Updates (proposed rulemaking)

The State Board of Medicine is proposing an overall update to its regulations, including standards relating to issuing licenses, certifications, permits and registrations; graduate medical training (GMT); and continuing education requirements relating to pain management, identification of addiction or the practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids. These changes are necessary to reflect current practice and standards. The Board does the following to update the regulations:

• Adds a definition for ''active-retired status'' to reflect a licensure status designation for medical doctors that limits the scope of practice to providing care for themselves and their immediate family members as authorized by the MCARE Act;
• Defines the other three license statuses—active, inactive and expired—which, although long used in practice, were not previously codified;
• Removes outdated references to ''biennial registration'' with the more accurate term ''biennial renewal'';
• Includes the term ''permit'' to refer to the various authorizations issued by the Board;
• Clarifies that biennial renewal is required for all licenses, certifications and registrations issued by the Board;
• Specifies that an active retired licensee that practices on anyone other than the medical doctor or their immediate family member may subject the licensee to discipline by the Board;
• Addresses ''expired'' status and clarifies that this status applies if a medical doctor or other practitioner fails to submit a timely biennial renewal before their license, certificate or registration expires;
• Prohibits practicing medicine or other professions under an expired license, certificate or registration;
• Removes the limitation on affiliated facilities where a licensee may practice or teach under an institutional license;
• More accurately reflects current board procedures for applicants seeking initial licensure or reactivation after being out of clinical practice more than 4 years, including assessing the physical and mental fitness of applicants, and retraining or a preceptorship program requirements (if deemed necessary);
• Deletes the requirement that the USMLE be completed within a 7-year period since the Board's concern is whether the applicant has passed the required USMLE steps within the attempt limits and not the length of time it took the applicant to pass the three steps of the USMLE;
• Reduces the required GMT for IMGs of unaccredited medical schools from 3 to 2 years, provided the applicant did not participate in GMT before June 30, 1987;
• Includes a disaster emergency clause, allowing medical doctors to obtain a temporary license during any Federal, State or local disaster emergency for a duration determined by the Board;
• Updates and expands the options for an applicant to demonstrate English proficiency;
• Establishes an exception allowing physician assistants to prescribe 90-day supply for intrathecal pain pump medication provided the prescription is approved by the supervising physician for ongoing therapy; and
• Updates graduate permits for prosthetists and orthotists.

Public Comment

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments, recommendations or objections regarding this proposed rulemaking to Regulatory Counsel, State Board of Medicine, P.O. Box 69523, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9523, RA-STRegulatoryCounsel@pa.gov within 30 days following publication of this proposed rulemaking in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Reference 16A-4945 (General Revisions and Updates) when submitting comments.

For more information, please review the April 18, 2026, edition of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.