Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4731.281 – License renewal

(A) On or before the deadline established under division (B) of this section for applying for renewal of a certificate of registration, each person holding a certificate under this chapter to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery shall certify to the state medical board that in the preceding two years the person has completed one hundred hours of continuing medical education. The certification shall be made upon the application for biennial registration submitted pursuant to division (B) of this section. The board shall adopt rules providing for pro rata reductions by month of the number of hours of continuing education required for persons who are in their first registration period, who have been disabled due to illness or accident, or who have been absent from the country. In determining whether a course, program, or activity qualifies for credit as continuing medical education, the board shall approve all continuing medical education taken by persons holding a certificate to practice medicine and surgery that is certified by the Ohio state medical association, all continuing medical education taken by persons holding a certificate to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery that is certified by the Ohio osteopathic association, and all continuing medical education taken by persons holding a certificate to practice podiatric medicine and surgery that is certified by the Ohio podiatric medical association. Each person holding a certificate to practice under this chapter shall be given sufficient choice of continuing education programs to ensure that the person has had a reasonable opportunity to participate in continuing education programs that are relevant to the person's medical practice in terms of subject matter and level. The board may require a random sample of persons holding a certificate to practice under this chapter to submit materials documenting completion of the continuing medical education requirement during the preceding registration period, but this provision shall not limit the board's authority to investigate pursuant to section 4731.22 of the Revised Code.
(B)
1. (1) Every person holding a certificate under this chapter to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery wishing to renew that certificate shall apply to the board for a certificate of registration upon an application furnished by the board, and pay to the board at the time of application a fee of three hundred five dollars, according to the following schedule:
  1. (a) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "A" through "B," on or before April 1, 2001, and the first day of April of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  2. (b) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "C" through "D," on or before January 1, 2001, and the first day of January of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  3. (c) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "E" through "G," on or before October 1, 2000, and the first day of October of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  4. (d) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "H" through "K," on or before July 1, 2000, and the first day of July of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  5. (e) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "L" through "M," on or before April 1, 2000, and the first day of April of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  6. (f) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "N" through "R," on or before January 1, 2000, and the first day of January of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  7. (g) Persons whose last name begins with the letter "S," on or before October 1, 1999, and the first day of October of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  8. (h) Persons whose last name begins with the letters "T" through "Z," on or before July 1, 1999, and the first day of July of every odd-numbered year thereafter. The board shall deposit the fee in accordance with section 4731.24 of the Revised Code, except that the board shall deposit twenty dollars of the fee into the state treasury to the credit of the physician loan repayment fund created by section 3702.78 of the Revised Code.
2. (2) The board shall mail or cause to be mailed to every person registered to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery, a notice of registration renewal addressed to the person's last known address or may cause the notice to be sent to the person through the secretary of any recognized medical, osteopathic, or podiatric society, according to the following schedule:
  1. (a) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "A" through "B," on or before January 1, 2001, and the first day of January of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  2. (b) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "C" through "D," on or before October 1, 2000, and the first day of October of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  3. (c) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "E" through "G," on or before July 1, 2000, and the first day of July of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  4. (d) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "H" through "K," on or before April 1, 2000, and the first day of April of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  5. (e) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "L" through "M," on or before January 1, 2000, and the first day of January of every even-numbered year thereafter;
  6. (f) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "N" through "R," on or before October 1, 1999, and the first day of October of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  7. (g) To persons whose last name begins with the letter "S," on or before July 1, 1999, and the first day of July of every odd-numbered year thereafter;
  8. (h) To persons whose last name begins with the letters "T" through "Z," on or before April 1, 1999, and the first day of April of every odd-numbered year thereafter.
3. (3) Failure of any person to receive a notice of renewal from the board shall not excuse the person from the requirements contained in this section.
4. (4) The board's notice shall inform the applicant of the renewal procedure. The board shall provide the application for registration renewal in a form determined by the board.
5. (5) The applicant shall provide in the application the applicant's full name, principal practice address and residence address, the number of the applicant's certificate to practice, and any other information required by the board.
6. (6)
  1. (a) Except as provided in division (B)(6)(b) of this section, in the case of an applicant who prescribes or personally furnishes opioid analgesics or benzodiazepines, the applicant shall certify to the board whether the applicant has been granted access to the drug database established and maintained by the state board of pharmacy pursuant to section 4729.75 of the Revised Code.
  2. (b) The requirement in division (B)(6)(a) of this section does not apply if either of the following is the case:
    1. (i) The state board of pharmacy notifies the state medical board pursuant to section 4729.861 of the Revised Code that the applicant has been restricted from obtaining further information from the drug database.
    2. (ii) The state board of pharmacy no longer maintains the drug database.
  3. (c) If an applicant certifies to the state medical board that the applicant has been granted access to the drug database and the board finds through an audit or other means that the applicant has not been granted access, the board may take action under section 4731.22 of the Revised Code.
7. (7) The applicant shall include with the application a list of the names and addresses of any clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives, or certified nurse practitioners with whom the applicant is currently collaborating, as defined in section 4723.01 of the Revised Code. Every person registered under this section shall give written notice to the state medical board of any change of principal practice address or residence address or in the list within thirty days of the change.
8. (8) The applicant shall report any criminal offense to which the applicant has pleaded guilty, of which the applicant has been found guilty, or for which the applicant has been found eligible for intervention in lieu of conviction, since last filing an application for a certificate of registration.
9. (9) The applicant shall execute and deliver the application to the board in a manner prescribed by the board.
(C) The board shall issue to any person holding a certificate under this chapter to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, or podiatric medicine and surgery, upon application and qualification therefor in accordance with this section, a certificate of registration under the seal of the board. A certificate of registration shall be valid for a two-year period.
(D) Failure of any certificate holder to register and comply with this section shall operate automatically to suspend the holder's certificate to practice. Continued practice after the suspension of the certificate to practice shall be considered as practicing in violation of section 4731.41, 4731.43, or 4731.60 of the Revised Code. If the certificate has been suspended pursuant to this division for two years or less, it may be reinstated. The board shall reinstate a certificate to practice suspended for failure to register upon an applicant's submission of a renewal application, the biennial registration fee, and the applicable monetary penalty. The penalty for reinstatement shall be fifty dollars. If the certificate has been suspended pursuant to this division for more than two years, it may be restored. Subject to section 4731.222 of the Revised Code, the board may restore a certificate to practice suspended for failure to register upon an applicant's submission of a restoration application, the biennial registration fee, and the applicable monetary penalty and compliance with sections 4776.01 to 4776.04 of the Revised Code. The board shall not restore to an applicant a certificate to practice unless the board, in its discretion, decides that the results of the criminal records check do not make the applicant ineligible for a certificate issued pursuant to section 4731.14, 4731.56, or 4731.57 of the Revised Code. The penalty for restoration shall be one hundred dollars. The board shall deposit the penalties in accordance with section 4731.24 of the Revised Code.
(E) If an individual certifies completion of the number of hours and type of continuing medical education required to receive a certificate of registration or reinstatement of a certificate to practice, and the board finds through the random samples it conducts under this section or through any other means that the individual did not complete the requisite continuing medical education, the board may impose a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars. The board's finding shall be made pursuant to an adjudication under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code and by an affirmative vote of not fewer than six members. A civil penalty imposed under this division may be in addition to or in lieu of any other action the board may take under section 4731.22 of the Revised Code. The board shall deposit civil penalties in accordance with section 4731.24 of the Revised Code.
(F) The state medical board may obtain information not protected by statutory or common law privilege from courts and other sources concerning malpractice claims against any person holding a certificate to practice under this chapter or practicing as provided in section 4731.36 of the Revised Code.
(G) Each mailing sent by the board under division (B)(2) of this section to a person registered to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery shall inform the applicant of the reporting requirement established by division (H) of section 3701.79 of the Revised Code. At the discretion of the board, the information may be included on the application for registration or on an accompanying page.