Medical practitioners have a significant obligation to report certain incidents. All medical workers, including pharmacists, must show honesty and act professionally at all times. Part of being honest is letting others know when they’ve made a mistake or broken a major rule of their job.
Failing to meet this obligation can lead to severe consequences, including the possible suspension or even revocation of their medical license.
State regulations
In Pennsylvania, a specific regulation exists for both aspiring and current licensed medical professionals. As outlined in the regulation, as soon as an incident happens, they must inform the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine about it within 30 days after it happens. This falls under what’s called mandated reporting, which includes:
- Criminal convictions, including charges such as driving under the influence (DUI)
- Legal issues such as a malpractice lawsuit or settlement
- Disciplinary actions by other state licensing boards or health care institutions
- Medical license revocation or suspension by a different state or country
If anything could impact your ability to practice medicine effectively, you should report it to the licensing board. This includes health conditions that might limit your effectiveness in performing medical tasks.
Requirement to report
Communication between state medical boards is common. So, if there are any disciplinary actions or allegations against you, the board will likely find out eventually. This means that not reporting an incident doesn’t guarantee the board will not know about it. In fact, it might be worse to keep it hidden. If you fail to report an incident and continue to practice, they might impose retroactive punishments.
This highlights why it’s so important for you to be open and honest in a health care job. Losing your license is a devastating experience. As such, you need to always speak up and be truthful to avoid the risk of having your license suspended or revoked.
