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State of Rhode Island Department of Health

Physicians

Initial Licensing & Renewal Information

Rhode Island Physicians Should be Aware of Phone Scam

Rhode Island physicians have been the target of a scam in which people pose as investigators from the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (BMLD) or the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Callers will falsely state that a physician’s medical license is suspended or under investigation and they will request information, like a physician’s NPI number, DEA registration number, and financial information.  

The BMLD staff use the email address on file for all correspondence and never request personal information over the telephone.  

If you receive a call or other notification stating your license is under investigation or has been suspended, please contact the Board at 401-222-1016 or Dr. Staci Fischer, Chief Administrative Officer of the BMLD at staci.fischer@health.ri.gov. If you are the target of a scam, please contact the FBI’s Boston Field Office at 857-386-2000 or the DEA Duty Line at 571-362-8487. You may also report the threat with the FBI online at https://ic3.gov. 

Renewal notices are sent out 60 days before your expiration date. RENEW ONLINE

If you have previously held a Rhode Island medical license, please contact the Board for a reactivation or reinstatement application.

Initial licensure for a physician is done exclusively through the Federation Credentialing Verification Service (FCVS).  Please review our Physician Initial Licensure Qualifications and Application Instructions to begin the process and make sure that you meet all qualifications and submit all the necessary paperwork. MORE

Renewals

Common Licensee Forms

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CME Continuing Medical Education Requirements

Physicians are required to document to the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline that they have earned a minimum of forty (40) hours of American Medical Association (AMA) Category 1 or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Category 1a continuing medical education (CME) credits.

For the 2024 medical license renewal cycle, continuing medical education requirements may be met by 40 hours of ACCME-accredited training in any topic areas over a two-year period. There are no specific topics required by the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline for this license renewal cycle.

Required Alzheimer's Disease Training

Effective August 1, 2019, every physician has to complete one hour (per career) of CME training regarding Alzheimer’s disease. RI LAW

Public Health Grand Rounds

The Department, and the Warren Alpert Medical School, can help you meet your continuing educations requirements. Click here for Upcoming Events     Click her for information about webinars

Trainings for Treating or Managing Care for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) reminds Rhode Island prescribers of the US Congress’ new one-time requirement that went into effect on June 27, 2023, requiring any new or renewing Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners, with the exception of veterinarians, to complete at least eight hours of education on the treatment or management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorder. Any new or renewing DEA registrants, upon submission of their application, are required to fulfill at least one of the following:

  • A total of eight hours of training from certain organizations* on opioid or other substance use disorders for practitioners renewing or newly applying for a registration from the DEA to prescribe any Schedule II-V controlled medications; or
  • Board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the American Board of Medical Specialties, American Board of Addiction Medicine, or the American Osteopathic Association; or
  • Graduation within five years and status in good standing from a medical, advanced practice nursing, or physician assistant school in the US that included successful completion of an opioid or other substance use disorder curriculum of at least eight hours.

Prescribers can fulfill the requirement with the completion of a single, eight-hour course or multiple courses or activities totaling eight hours.

DEA-registered and new medical practitioners must fulfill this new training requirement before starting the process of renewing or completing an initial DEA registration.

Professional Resources

Best Practices Under RI's Confidentiality of Health Care Communications and Inf…

A dedicated Physician Support Line (1-888-409-0141) is now available to physicians (including residents and fellows) and medical students to access free, confidential and anonymous advice. The support line is staffed by volunteer psychiatrists, including those from various racial/ethnic/gender identity backgrounds. This nation-wide resource is available without an appointment and can provide emotional support for difficult situations (e.g., discrimination, bigotry, intolerance) and in times of crisis. If medical attention is needed, they will help the physician/student access appropriate care. They do not report their interactions to any agencies, including employers and licensing Boards. Their website is located at: Physician Support Line and provides additional resources for dealing with common sources of stress for physicians.

Physicians and other healthcare providers who retire or stop practicing for other reasons should do their best to provide patients with continuity of care. When practices break up or separate, keep the patients’ interests first and foremost. The Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline frowns upon complaints that suggest physicians are fighting over patients or “using the patients” as part of the break up. Rhode Island law specifically requires that you:

  • Try to resolve open patient cases;
  • Publish a notice 90 days before closing a practice in a newspaper with statewide circulation, including information on how patients can get their medical records (when a physician is deceased, the heirs or the estate must give the same public notice within 90 days);
  • Send a letter to patients that have been seen within the past year notifying them of the practice closure;
  • Notify the Rhode Island Medical Society and the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline of location of medical records;
  • Create a way for patients to get their medical records for at least the next 5 years; (Though a fee can be charged for copying, the transfer of the record cannot be delayed due to lack of payment.)
  • Notify your malpractice carrier and make sure you have adequate coverage after you have stopped working.

Continuity of Care

Review the training materials, resources, and videos on the Rhode Island Vital Events Registration System (RIVERS) located at: https://health.ri.gov/records

Teleconsultation lines for providers who see perinatal and/or pediatric patients to receive real-time clinical consultations with specialty psychiatrists to discuss patient diagnosis, treatment planning, medication safety, and referral support.

Learn more about the Psychiatric Resource Network (PRN) lines.

Prescribing pharmaceutical stimulant(s) for ADD/ADHD is common and, at times, very appropriate. As with any controlled substance, consideration and safeguards are necessary to prescribe responsibly and to prevent diversion. Diversion of stimulants is different and more common in the adolescent and young adult populations. These patients are more likely to share their stimulants and are not aware of the risks of doing so. Prescribers have a professional duty to prevent diversion of controlled substances. Please review this educational policy in its entirety.

Click Here to Learn More about Stimulants

Screen all patients and caregivers.

  • Check a patient’s electronic health record (EHR) and ask the patient about previous naloxone use.
  • Check Rhode Island’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) for clinical alerts and evidence of high-dose opioids (i.e., more than 50 oral Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MMEs) per day), long-acting opioid use, or opioid use for longer than 90 days.
  • Screen all patients for a history or diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), mental health conditions, respiratory or neurologic conditions that affect breathing, harmful use or misuse of opioids, and/or opioid overdose.
  • Screen patients for use of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) to treat OUD.
  • Screen all patients to identify use of opioids in combination with benzodiazepines, alcohol, anti-depressants, and/or sedatives.

Educate yourself, patients, and staff.

  • Ask caregivers if they feel comfortable administering naloxone during an overdose in case a friend or loved one is experiencing a bad reaction to an opioid.
  • Tell patients who are taking opioids about the potential for bad reactions that make breathing slow down or stop, leading to an overdose.
  • Emphasize to patients that naloxone is an antidote and can save a life, just like a seatbelt or fire extinguisher.
  • Tell patients and caregivers about what to expect after giving someone naloxone.
  • Include a conversation about the importance of having naloxone on-hand as a standard part of opioid safety messages.
  • Ensure all office staff know where to locate and how to use naloxone in case of an overdose.
  • Review the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose and the legal protections under Rhode Island’s Good Samaritan Law.
  • Sign and display these pledges on opioid safety.
  • Print, hang, and distribute educational materials about naloxone.

Promote increased access to naloxone.

  • Join the US Surgeon General and be a role model. Purchase and carry naloxone. Incorporate naloxone co-prescribing in EHRs, office protocols, and electronic prescribing systems.
  • Co-prescribe naloxone to patients who are currently being prescribed syringes and needles.
  • Stock naloxone in the office for emergency use and for direct dispensing to patients.
  • Remind patients and staff that pharmacists can dispense naloxone and bill insurance companies without a prescription from a healthcare provider.
  • If cost is a barrier for patients, help them enroll in a health insurance plan.
Physicians

Register with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) . Check the PDMP each time you dispense/prescribe a controlled substance to help prevent fraudulent prescriptions from being filled. This will also help identify suspected pharmacy/doctor "shopping." MORE

Contact us for PDMP support.

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