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The WMC participates in rule making processes in order to protect the public health. Want to know about the nuts and bolts of rule making: learn more.

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Policies & Rules

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Rules, Policies, Guidelines & Interpretative Statements

Ethics and Professionalism   Licensing   Medical Records
Discrimination in Healthcare   Elective Educational Rotations   Death Certificate
Medical Professionalism

Practitioner Health

Ownership of Clinics by Physician Assistants Medical Records: Documentation, Access, Retention, Storage, Disposal, and Closing a Practice
 
Practitioners Exhibiting Disruptive Behavior
 

Retired Active License: WAC 246-919-480
Social Media and Electronic Communications  
Sexual Misconduct Guideline
Sexual Misconduct and Abuse: WAC 246-919-630

 

Clinical Practice   Prescribing   WMC Administration
Communicating Diagnostic Test Results to Patients   Medical Marijuana Authorization Guidelines   A Collaborative Approach to Reducing Medical Error and Enhancing Patient Safety
Electromyography (EMG) Rescinded 11/15/2019 Approved Pain Management Specialist Entities
Establishing the Use of Nitrous Oxide in Office-Based Settings
Informed Consent Opioid Prescribing & Monitoring for Allopathic
Physicians and Physician Assistants
Complainant Request for Reconsideration - Closed Cases 
Laser, Light, Radiofrequency, Plasma Device: WAC 246-919-605 Delegation of Decision-Making Authority to Health Law Judges
Medical Directors: Roles, Duties and Responsibilities Opioid Prescribing & Monitoring for Patients Impact Statement
Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedures: WAC 246-919-606 Pain Management: WAC 246-919-850 Newsletter Review
Office Based Surgery: WAC 246-919-601 Self-Treatment or Treatment of Immediate Family Members Personal Appearance
Overlapping and Simultaneous Elective Surgeries

Policy Development

Physician Assistants Ordering Restraint and Seclusion Treating Partners of Patients with STDs  Processing Complaints Against Licensees Enrolled in the WPHP
Telemedicine Policy   Processing Complaints Against Medical Students, Resident, and Fellows
Terminating the Practitioner-Patient Relationship
Transmission of Time Critical Information Reentry to Practice
Reentry to Practice for Practitioners With Suspended Licensees
Sexual Misconduct Analysis Review Team
Whistleblower Protection

    Laws Relating to Medical Practice

    Revised Code of Washington (RCW)

    A statute or Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is written by the Washington State Legislature. Once legislation is signed by the Governor, it becomes law.

    The site for RCWs is a searchable database on the Internet. You can also access the State Government website at http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/

    Other relevant RCWs are:

    RCW 18.71 Physicians
    RCW 18.71A

    Physician Assistants

    RCW 18.71B Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
    RCW 18.130 Regulation of Health Professions—Uniform Disciplinary Act
    RCW 26.44.030 Abuse of Children and Adult Dependent Persons
    RCW 34.05 Administrative Procedures Act
    RCW 42.56 Public Records Act
    RCW 70.02 Medical Records-Health Care Information Access and Disclosure
    RCW 74.34  Abuse of Vulnerable Adults

    Washington Administrative Code (WAC)

    A rule or Washington Administrative Code (WAC) is written to provide interpretive support for the individuals or entities to whom the rule applies. Department of Health rules are written and adopted by a Board or Commission or the Secretary of the Department of Health. Rules or WACs carry the full force of the law.

    WACs are available on the State Government website at http://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/

    The WACs that relate to:

    WAC 246-12 Administrative Procedures and Requirements for Credentialed Health Care Providers
    WAC 246-15  Whistleblower Complaints in Health Care Settings
    WAC 246-919  Physicians
    WAC 246-918  Physician Assistants

    Definitions

    Interpretive Statement

    Interpretive statement means a written expression of the opinion of an agency as to the meaning of a statute or other provision of law, of a court decision, or of an agency order.

    Policy Statement

    Policy statement means a written description of the current approach of an agency to implementation of a statute or other provision of law, of a court decision, or of an agency order, including where appropriate the agency's current practice, procedure, or method of action based upon that approach.

    Guidelines

    A set of recommended practices designed by the Medical Commission to assist practitioners about appropriate health care for specific circumstances. A guideline does not have the force of law, but may be considered by the Medical Commission to be the standard of care in our state.

    Procedure

    Establishes the proper steps to take to conduct Commission Business