2005 Arizona Revised Statutes - Revised Statutes §32-1800  Definitions

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Active license" means a valid license to practice medicine.

2. "Adequate records" means legible medical records containing, at a minimum, sufficient information to identify the patient, support the diagnosis, justify the treatment, accurately document the results, indicate advice and cautionary warnings provided to the patient and provide sufficient information for another licensed health care practitioner to assume continuity of the patient's care at any point in the course of treatment.

3. "Approved fellowship program" means that an applicant for licensure completed training when the hospital or other facility in which the training occurred was approved for fellowship by the American osteopathic association or by the accreditation council on graduate medical education.

4. "Approved hospital internship" means that an applicant for licensure completed training when the hospital or other facility in which the training occurred was approved for internship by the American osteopathic association or by the accreditation council on graduate medical education.

5. "Approved preceptorship" means that an applicant for licensure completed training when the hospital or other facility in which the training occurred was approved for preceptorship by the American osteopathic association or by the accreditation council on graduate medical education.

6. "Approved residency" means that an applicant for licensure completed training when the hospital or other facility in which the training occurred was approved for residency by the American osteopathic association or by the accreditation council on graduate medical education.

7. "Approved school of osteopathic medicine" means a school or college offering a course of study that, on successful completion, results in the awarding of the degree of doctor of osteopathy and whose course of study has been approved or accredited by the American osteopathic association.

8. "Board" means the Arizona board of osteopathic examiners in medicine and surgery.

9. "Completed application" means an application for which the applicant has supplied all required fees, information and correspondence required by the board on forms and in a manner approved by the board.

10. "Decree of censure" means a formal written reprimand by the board of a physician for a violation of this chapter that constitutes an official action against a physician's license.

11. "Direct supervision" means that a physician is within the same room or office suite as the medical assistant in order to be available for consultation regarding those tasks the medical assistant performs pursuant to section 32-1859.

12. "Dispense" means the delivery by a physician of a prescription drug or device to a patient, except for samples packaged for individual use by licensed manufacturers or repackagers of drugs, and includes the prescribing, administering, packaging, labeling and security necessary to prepare and safeguard the drug or device for delivery.

13. "Doctor of osteopathy" means a person who holds a license, registration or permit to practice medicine pursuant to this chapter.

14. "Full-time faculty member" means a physician employed full time as a faculty member while holding the academic position of assistant professor or a higher position at an approved school of osteopathic medicine.

15. "Immediate family" means the spouse, natural or adopted children, father, mother, brothers and sisters of the physician and the natural and adopted children, father, mother, brothers and sisters of the physician's spouse.

16. "Inappropriate fee" means a fee that is not supported by documentation of time, complexity or extreme skill required to perform the service.

17. "Investigative hearing" means a meeting between the board and a physician to discuss issues set forth in the investigative hearing notice and during which the board may hear statements from board staff, the complainant and the physician.

18. "Letter of concern" means an advisory letter to notify a physician that while there is insufficient evidence to support direct action against the physician's license there is sufficient evidence for the board to notify the physician of its concern. A letter of concern is a public document for five years after it is issued and may be used in future disciplinary actions against the physician.

19. "Medical assistant" means an unlicensed person who has completed an educational program approved by the board, who assists in a medical practice under the supervision of a doctor of osteopathic medicine and who performs delegated procedures commensurate with the assistant's education and training but who does not diagnose, interpret, design or modify established treatment programs or violate any statute.

20. "Medical peer review" means the participation by a doctor of osteopathy in the review and evaluation of the medical management of a patient and the use of resources for patient care as well as activities relating to a health care institution's decision to grant or continue privileges to practice at that institution.

21. "Medically incompetent" means that a person lacks sufficient medical knowledge or skills, or both, to a degree likely to endanger the health of patients or fails to obtain a scaled score of at least seventy-five per cent on the written special purpose licensing examination administered by the board.

22. "Medicine" means osteopathic medicine as practiced by a person who receives a degree of doctor of osteopathy.

23. "Physician" means a doctor of osteopathic medicine who holds a license to practice osteopathic medicine pursuant to this chapter.

24. "Practice of medicine" or "practice of osteopathic medicine" means all of the following:

(a) To examine, diagnose, treat, prescribe for, palliate, prevent or correct human diseases, injuries, ailments, infirmities and deformities, physical or mental conditions, real or imaginary, by the use of drugs, surgery, manipulation, electricity or any physical, mechanical or other means as provided by this chapter.

(b) Suggesting, recommending, prescribing or administering any form of treatment, operation or healing for the intended palliation, relief or cure of any physical or mental disease, ailment, injury, condition or defect.

(c) The practice of osteopathic medicine alone or the practice of osteopathic surgery or osteopathic manipulative therapy, or any combination of either practice.

25. "Special purpose licensing examination" means an examination developed by the national board of medical examiners, on behalf of the federation of state medical boards or the national board of osteopathic medical examiners for use by state licensing boards, to test the basic medical competency of physicians who are applying for licensure and who have been in practice in another jurisdiction or to determine the competency of a physician who has not been in practice for a considerable period of time or who is under investigation.

26. "Specialist" means a physician who has successfully completed postdoctoral training in an approved fellowship program, an approved preceptorship or an approved residency or who is board certified by a specialty board approved by the board.

27. "Subscription provider of health care" means an entity that, through contractual agreement, is responsible for the payment, in whole or in part, of debts incurred by a person for medical or other health care services.