In its last session the Texas Legislature passed a new law concerning Pain Management Clinics. The law, which becomes effective on September 1, 2010, makes it illegal to own / operate a Pain Management Clinic in Texas without first obtaining a certificate from the Texas Medical Board.
The new law bars individuals and entities from certification in any of a long list of circumstances. To summarize, if the owner/operator of a pain management clinic, their employee, or any person or entity who contracts with such a clinic have any of the following in their record, they are not eligible for certification by the Medical Board:
1) Any individual who has had restrictions placed on or been denied a certificate or license by any federal or state agency authorizing them to prescribe, administer, supply, or sell a controlled substance;
2) Any person who has been subject to a disciplinary action by a licensing entity (such as the Texas Medical Board) for conduct relating to the inappropriate prescribing, dispensing, administering, supplying, or selling of a controlled substance.
3) Any individual who has been convicted of, pled no contest to, or received deferred adjudication for any felony;
4) Any individual who has been convicted of, pled no contest to, or received deferred adjudication for a misdemeanor when the underlying conduct relates to the distribution of illegal prescription drugs or a controlled substance as defined in the Medical Practice Act.
