Title 32

The Maine Board of Medicine, as established in Title 5, section 12004‑A, subsection 24‑A, is created within this subchapter. The board recognizes the unique philosophical and educational differences between allopathic physicians, osteopathic physicians and physician associates. T…

1. Membership; terms; removal. The board consists of 22 members who are legal residents of this State and are appointed by the Governor as follows: A. Six allopathic physicians, all of whom must hold a valid license under this chapter and have been in the clinical practice of med…

The board has the following powers and duties in addition to all other powers and duties imposed by this chapter. [PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §7 (NEW); PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §9 (AFF).] 1. Powers. The board may: A. Establish standards of eligibility for examinations for candidates …

The Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation shall act as a liaison between the board and the Governor. The Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation does not have the authority to exercise or interfere with the exercise of discretionary, regulatory or li…

1. Request for record; redaction. When the board receives a request to inspect or copy all or part of the record of an applicant or licensee, the board shall redact information that is not public before making the record available for inspection or copying. 2. Notice. When the bo…

Only an individual may be licensed under this chapter and only a licensed individual may provide services for which a license is required under this chapter.

1. Unlicensed practice. The following provisions apply. A. Unless licensed or privileged by the board, an individual may not practice medicine or render medical services to any patient located in this State. A person may not engage in the practice of medicine or render medical se…

1. Licensed individual accompanying visiting athletic team. This chapter does not apply to an individual who holds a current unrestricted license to practice medicine and surgery in another state when the individual, pursuant to a written agreement with an athletic team located i…

1. Application. An applicant seeking a license from the board must submit an administratively complete application, licensure or application fee established by rule adopted by the board and any other materials required by the board. 2. Fees. All fees set forth in this chapter are…

1. Qualification for licensure. The board may issue to an individual a license to practice as a physician associate under the following conditions. A. A license may be issued to an individual who: (1) Graduated from a physician assistant or physician associate program approved by…

1. Background check. The board shall request a background check for an individual who submits an application for initial licensure or licensure by endorsement as a physician associate under this chapter. The board shall request a background check for each licensed physician assoc…

Except as otherwise specified by this chapter, all applicants for licensure as an allopathic physician or surgeon in this State must satisfy the following requirements. [PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §7 (NEW); PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §9 (AFF).] 1. Medical education. Each applicant must…

Except as otherwise specified by this chapter, all applicants for licensure as an osteopathic physician or surgeon in this State must satisfy the following requirements. [PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §7 (NEW); PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §9 (AFF).] 1. Osteopathic education. An applicant m…

1. Background check. The board shall request a background check for an individual licensed under this chapter who applies for an expedited license under section 18506. The background check must include criminal history record information obtained from the Maine Criminal Justice I…

1. Temporary licensure. A physician who is qualified under section 20127 or 20128 may, without examination, be granted a temporary license for a period not to exceed one year when the board determines that this action is necessary in order to provide relief for local or national …

1. Renewal of licenses. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a physician or physician associate with a license issued by the board, including Interstate Medical Licensure Compact licenses, shall apply to the board for relicensure using application forms and submitting su…

A licensee who notifies the board in writing of the withdrawal of the individual's license is not required to pay licensure fees or penalties beyond those due at the time of the holder's withdrawal, but after a holder gives this notice, the holder's license to practice is not val…

A licensee who wants to retain licensure while not practicing or rendering medical services may apply for an inactive status license. During inactive status, the licensee must renew the license and pay the renewal fee set by rule. Inactive status licensees may not engage in the c…

Separate investigative committees are established within the board with the power and authority to conduct and act upon investigations in accordance with this subchapter. [PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §7 (NEW); PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §9 (AFF).] 1. Composition. The chair of the board …

The board, acting through an investigative committee of the board pursuant to section 20141, shall investigate a complaint, on its own motion or upon receipt of a written complaint filed with the board, regarding alleged noncompliance with or violation of this chapter or any rule…

Upon its own motion or upon complaint, the board, or an investigative committee of the board pursuant to section 20141, in the interests of public health, safety and welfare, shall treat as an emergency a complaint or allegation that an individual licensed under this chapter is o…

1. Disciplinary action. The board may suspend or revoke a license or privilege issued by the board pursuant to Title 5, section 10004. In addition to the powers under Title 10, section 8003, subsection 5, the board may suspend, revoke or refuse to issue or renew a license or priv…

A physician or physician associate may delegate to the physician's or physician associate's employees or support staff or members of a health care team, including medical assistants, certain activities relating to medical care and treatment carried out by custom and usage when th…

1. Scope of practice. A physician associate may render any medical service for which the physician associate has been prepared by education, training and experience and is competent to perform. The scope of practice of a physician associate is determined by practice setting, incl…

A physician or physician associate licensed under this chapter who is a member of a utilization review committee, medical review committee, surgical review committee, peer review committee or disciplinary committee that is a requirement of accreditation by the Joint Commission on…

All proceedings and records of proceedings concerning medical staff reviews, hospital reviews and other reviews of medical care conducted by committees of physicians and other health care personnel on behalf of hospitals located within this State or on behalf of individual physic…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Long-term antibiotic therapy" means the administration of oral, intramuscular or intravenous antibiotics, singly or in combination, for a period o…

An individual licensed under this chapter who renders medical care to a minor for the prevention or treatment of a sexually transmitted infection or treatment of substance use disorder or for the collection of sexual assault evidence through a sexual assault forensic examination …

An individual licensed to practice medicine or render medical services under this chapter, or privileged under chapter 145‑A, a chiropractor licensed pursuant to chapter 9 or a podiatrist licensed pursuant to chapter 51 who treats Medicare-eligible individuals shall post in a con…

After contact lenses have been adequately fitted and the patient released from immediate follow-up care by the physician, the patient may request a copy of the contact lens specifications from the physician. The physician shall provide a copy of the prescription at no cost, which…

An individual licensed under this chapter may not be disciplined for providing expedited partner therapy in accordance with Title 22, chapter 251, subchapter 3, article 5.

A physician licensed by the board may not issue a prescription for ophthalmic lenses, as defined in section 19101, subsection 19, solely in reliance on a measurement of the eye by a kiosk, as defined in section 19101, subsection 14, without conducting an eye examination, as defin…

1. Limits on opioid medication prescribing. Except as provided in subsection 2, an individual licensed under this chapter or privileged under chapter 145‑A and whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication may not prescribe: A. To a patient any combination of opi…

An individual licensed, registered or certified under this chapter may not advertise, offer or administer conversion therapy to a minor.

1. Duty. A licensee has a duty to warn of or to take reasonable precautions to provide protection from a patient's violent behavior if the licensee has a reasonable belief based on communications with the patient that the patient is likely to engage in physical violence that pose…

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §7 (NEW); PL 2025, c. 738, Pt. A, §9 (AFF).] 1. Asynchronous encounter. "Asynchronous encounter" means an interaction between a patient an…

A person licensed under this chapter may provide telehealth services as long as the licensee acts within the scope of practice of the licensee's license, in accordance with any requirements and restrictions imposed by this subchapter and in accordance with standards of practice.

When providing telehealth services, a person licensed under this chapter shall comply with all state and federal confidentiality and privacy laws.

All laws and rules governing professional responsibility, unprofessional conduct and generally accepted standards of practice that apply to a person licensed under this chapter also apply to that licensee while that licensee is providing telehealth services.

The board shall adopt rules governing telehealth services by persons licensed under this chapter. These rules must establish standards of practice and appropriate restrictions for the various types and forms of telehealth services. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routi…