February 5,
2021 21006 21006 
NEWS RELEASE: The State Medical Board of Ohio is honored to have been included in Governor DeWine’s expansion of Ohio’s Human Trafficking Task Force.
On January 29, 2021, Governor DeWine signed Executive Order 2021-02D, which increases the number of collaborating agencies in the task force and seeks to pursue fresh strategies to combat human trafficking in Ohio. The task force was established in 2012 and is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services.
The entire news release can be viewed here.
Click here to view the board’s human trafficking awareness videos.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, help is available by calling 888-373-7888 or by texting INFO or HELP to 233733.
February 4,
2021 1382 1382
Licensees should remain aware that a scam continues to target and affect Ohio prescribers. Scammers are calling, faxing and emailing medical professionals claiming to be agents of the State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO), agents of the DEA or agents of the FBI. These scammers claim that the professionals’ medical and drug licenses have been compromised and are being used by other entities in a drug trafficking scheme. As a result of these allegations, the scammers direct the medical provider to wire money to foreign bank accounts. Please remember, SMBO investigators, DEA agents and FBI agents will not ask for fine payment or personal/sensitive information over the phone.
When the scammers communicate via phone call, they spoof the legitimate phone number for the SMBO (614-466-3934). Be aware that scammers have the ability to spoof phone numbers to appear as though they legitimately belong to the entity they are claiming to be. If the Medical Board is truly conducting an investigation, and that individual faces action against their license, they will receive an official notice of opportunity for a hearing either via certified mail or by personal service. Further, emails originating from actual Medical Board staff end in @med.ohio.gov.
Learn how to identify a legitimate investigation, how to verify if the caller is from the Medical Board and how to file a complaint if you are contacted by a scammer here.
Click the image to view the fraudulent SMBO letter. Click here to view the phony letter from the U.S. Department of Justice.
If you are contacted by a scammer, please report the incident to your local law enforcement and Ohio's Attorney General by filing a complaint online at ohioprotects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.
January 5,
2021 1004 1004
The Medical Board received 30 petitions for potential new qualifying conditions during the 2020 petition window. The Medical Board’s Medical Marijuana Committee is anticipated to meet February 10. At that meeting, the committee will decide which petitions will be considered. A final vote on new qualifying conditions is expected this summer.
Condition names as listed by the petitioners:
- ADD/ADHD
- ADHD
- ADHD
- ADHD, Autism in Children
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Autism
- Autism
- Bi-polar Depression, ADHD, and Anxiety
- Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder
- Complex Reginol Pain Syndrome Type 2
- Diabetes
- Diabetes
- Enlarged Prostate and Gastrointestinal Issues
- Fibromyalgia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Macular Degeneration and Ocular Histoplasmosis
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Meniere’s Disease
- Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia
- Panic Disorder/Anxiety
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Spasticity/Persistent Muscle Spasms
- Terminal Illness – Estimate of 6-month Life Expectancy or Less
- Terminal Illness will Less than 6 Months to Live/Patient is Eligible for Hospice Care
- TRD – Treatment Resistant Depression
During the submission period (November 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020), petitions were filed electronically through the state’s website, medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov. Per Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-05,a petition needs to include:
- The name and contact information
- Specific disease or condition requested to be added
- Information from experts who specialize in the study of the disease or condition
- Relevant medical or scientific evidence
- Consideration of whether conventional medical therapies are insufficient to treat or alleviate the disease or condition
- Evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the disease or condition and other types of medical or scientific documentation
- Letters of support provided by physicians
Petitions that meet the requirements of OAC 4731-32-05 will proceed and be reviewed by subject matter experts. Petitions submitted for the same condition will be combined for the reviews. Any petition for a condition that has been previously reviewed by the board and rejected will not be considered by the board unless new scientific research that supports the request is offered.
The board’s committee will review the expert reports and then make a recommendation to the full board for a vote to adopt/deny a petition to add the qualifying condition under review. A full board vote will occur in summer 2021.
The Medical Board’s rules (Ohio Administrative Code) for the qualifying conditions can be found here: http://codes.ohio.-gov/oac/4731-32-05.
The next condition petition window will be Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021.
December 14,
2020 836 836
The Medical Board has been made aware of an email phishing scam that is being sent to our licensees. The sender claims to represent the Ohio Secretary of State and is attempting to gain access to your personal information through a fraudulent request to validate your profile. There is no need to validate your user profile. Do not click the link or input any sensitive information.
If you receive a suspicious email from someone claiming to represent the Ohio Secretary of State, take these steps to protect yourself:
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Do not reply
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Do not open any attachments, as they could infect your computer
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Do not click on any links. If you have clicked on links in a suspicious email and entered confidential information, visit the Federal Trade Commission website and review the commission's information on identity theft at www.identitytheft.gov
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Delete the email
The board will send additional updates, if needed.
Please note, the email address used by the scammers may change from the example shown below.
______________________________________________________________________________________
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December 14,
2020 635 635
The December 2020 issue of the Medical Board's eNews is available:
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new board member appointment
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scam alerts from the Medical and Pharmacy boards
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Ohio health care provider staffing survey
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COVID-19 updates
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vaccine
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vaccine program webinar
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licensure during the state of emergency
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COVID-19 testing sites
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licensee obligation to complete death certificates
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petition to add qualifying condition
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duty to report
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board seeks subject matter experts (family medicine, internal medicine and pain management and medical marijuana)
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December office closures
December 9,
2020 1220 1220
The State Medical Board of Ohio will livestream its Policy Committee (9:00 a.m.) and Board Meeting (10:00 a.m.) on Wednesday, December 9.
These open meetings will be shared publicly via livestreams on the board's YouTube channel. The agendas can be viewed here.
December 7,
2020 1056 1056
The State Medical Board of Ohio will livestream its Dietetics and Respiratory Care Advisory Council meetings. These open meetings will both be shared publicly via the board's YouTube page.
Dietetics Advisory Council 12/7, 2:00 p.m. agenda
Respiratory Care Advisory Council 12/8, 2:00 p.m. agenda
December 7,
2020 1607 1607
The Sexual Misconduct Committee is scheduled to attend the Governor’s Working Group virtual meeting tomorrow, December 8 at 9:00 a.m. Complete meeting details can be found here.
WHERE: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting OR Call 614-721-2972 and enter Conference ID: 102 278 006#
WHEN: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.