Profession
Washington state passes rules to boost patient safety
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 25, 2006
Patients seeking treatment for spider veins or laser hair removal will be safer under new rules governing "prescriptive medical devices" that Washington's Medical Quality Assurance Commission adopted in August, state health officials said.
The rules clarify that procedures such as laser hair removal are considered the practice of medicine and outline requirements for using medical lasers. The commission developed the measures out of concern that unlicensed people and physician office staff with little or no medical training were operating medical lasers.
Health officials also were concerned about a growing number of "spa clinics" that do laser hair removal and often are run by employees with no medical training and no state license. The state Dept. of Health has issued cease-and-desist orders against several operators for unlicensed practice of medicine. The new rules take effect in March 2007.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/09/25/prbf0925.htm.
