Pharmacy audits are a common practice in healthcare. These audits include a comprehensive review of a pharmacy’s records, practices, and procedures to determine whether it is in compliance with relevant laws and regulations, as well as to identify any potential areas of risk. Pharmacy audits can be conducted by government agencies, private insurers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and third-party auditors. The process itself involves examining the pharmacy’s records, including prescription records, billing records, dispensing records, and inventory records, as well as an…

The high rate of burnout for medical professionals hit extraordinary numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic. While available treatments, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), and workloads have all improved since the height of the pandemic, there are still many challenges the medical community continues to deal with. Physician burnout has long been an issue, but the pandemic intensified the issue. Unfortunately, this burnout can sometimes lead to errors – that ultimately lead to action taken against the physician’s medical license. How Prevalent Is…

Every licensed medical professional is entrusted with extremely confidential information about their patients. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), not only are they required to not share this information themselves, but they are also required to make sure that all patient information is protected from unauthorized access. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are only supposed to access a patient’s medical record if they have a valid reason to do so. Any type of breach of this duty…

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 vaccine has stirred up great controversy, especially when it comes to mandatory vaccination policies that many companies and organizations have put in place. Regardless of which side of the fence a person sits on, it is important for every medical professional to realize that they are held to higher standards than the general public. A Wisconsin physician who recently had his medical license suspended for falsifying vaccine records is a good example of what…

Several labor and delivery nurses were recently fired from a Georgia hospital after a TikTok video they posted criticizing patients went viral. This incident is just one example that demonstrates how critical it is for licensed medical professionals to watch what they post on social media because those posts could have far-reaching consequences for their careers. Labor and Delivery “Icks” The four nurses put together the video – which was viewed more than 100,000 times before it was taken down – a part…

Just like other medical professionals, to obtain your dental license in Illinois, there are specific education requirements, as well as testing requirements. There are also issues that can result in being denied that license or having it revoked. The following is a brief overview of the dental license process. Dental Education Requirements Becoming a dentist is considered one of the better professions in the United States. In fact, in an annual survey conducted by U.S. News & World Report rankings of the “100…

In January, the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Southern District of Florida announced its office had charged 25 people for their alleged participation in a wire fraud scheme that involved selling fake nursing school transcripts and diplomas from three Florida nursing schools to aspiring nurses who had not completed the required coursework needed to graduate or required testing. Defendants were arrested in Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas. The Alleged Scheme According to the announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, those involved allegedly sold…

One of the hardest professions in the medical field is nursing. Not only are you responsible for the care and safety of patients, but you are also required to take specific direction from physicians and the facility you work for. All of these responsibilities can cause a great amount of stress, but there are thousands of nurses in Illinois who are passionate and committed to the profession. Unfortunately, there is also the threat of having the state take action against your nursing license…

One of the most stressful – and potentially devastating – thing that can happen to a medical provider is to be accused of Medicaid fraud. The consequences can result in actions taken against your medical license, being required to pay back the alleged fraudulent funds, and being barred from any future Medicaid billing. In some cases, it can even result in criminal charges. Even if you are not engaged in fraud, someone in your practice could be. It is important for every…

The United States has been battling an opioid epidemic for almost 25 years. Tragically, each year, instead of decreasing, the number of fatalities continues to increase – more than 15,000 people died in this country from prescription opioid overdoses in 2021. Part of the fight against this battle is targeting prescribers and other medical professionals who are involved in prescription fraud. Prescription fraud may involve any illegitimate procurement of prescription medications. The penalties for anyone accused of prescription fraud may not only involve the loss of their professional license, but they…