Learn more about the Florida Dental Association here.

Beyond the Bite

The Official Blog of the Florida Dental Association

Tag: dental license

Don’t Forget: Mandatory Opioid Course Deadline is Jan. 31, 2019!

by Leave a comment

Per House Bill 21 (HB 21), all Florida licensed dentists registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and authorized to prescribe controlled substances shall complete a board-approved two-hour continuing education (CE) course on prescribing controlled substances by Jan. 31, 2019.

The Florida Dental Association (FDA) is recommending that member dentists take the two-hour mandatory opioid course through the Florida Medical Association (FMA) or call your local component/affiliate to see if they will be offering an in-person course. For the online FMA course, click here to register and take this course. The FMA will automatically report your credit to CE Broker on your behalf. This course must be completed by Jan. 31, 2019 to maintain your dental license.

In addition, ALL dentists must indicate within their account with the Florida Department of Health if they are/are not registered with the DEA. Click here for instructions on how to do this. Anyone who doesn’t indicate their status with the DEA will be assumed as registered and therefore must meet the new mandatory CE requirement.

For more information on HB 21 and its requirements, go to floridadental.org/opioidlaw.

Licenses, Licenses and More Licenses

by Leave a comment

By Graham Nicol, Esq., Health Care Risk Manager, Board Certified Specialist (Health Law)
​
I have a valid dental license in the state of Florida — that’s all I need to practice here, right? Wrong. As just one example: you’ll also need an occupational license — maybe even more than one! Occupational licenses are required by county ordinance and city regulations, not state law. Any business operating within city limits may have to get a county license as well as a city license.

Not feeling the love? It gets worse, ‘cause you’ll also need a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) — kind of like a social security number, but for a corporation instead of a natural person — and a National Provider Identification number (NPI).

You see, all four levels of government want to regulate you to protect the public from unsavory characters. Unfortunately, the only way government can keep these nasty people off the streets is to charge each licensee an annual fee for the privilege of practicing your chosen profession and feeding your family.

So, don’t forget: Get all your licenses and keep all branches of government well-funded.

This blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. If you have a specific concern or need legal advice regarding your dental practice, you should contact a qualified attorney.