Title 18 — Title 18 BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS
113 chapters · 2,288 sections in this title.
RCW 18.71.002 Purpose.
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It is the purpose of the commission to regulate the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing qualifications for licensing, consistent standards of practice, continuing competency mechanisms, and…
RCW 18.71.003 Declaration of purpose.
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This chapter is passed:(1) In the exercise of the police power of the state to protect public health, to promote the welfare of the state, and to provide an adequate public agency to act as a disciplinary body for the members of the medical profession licensed to practice medicin…
RCW 18.71.010 Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Commission" means the Washington medical commission.(2) "Emergency medical care" or "emergency medical service" has the same meaning as in chapter 18.73 RCW.(3) "Maint…
RCW 18.71.011 Definition of practice of medicine—Engaging in practice of chiropractic prohibited, when.
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A person is practicing medicine if he or she does one or more of the following:(1) Offers or undertakes to diagnose, cure, advise, or prescribe for any human disease, ailment, injury, infirmity, deformity, pain or other condition, physical or mental, real or imaginary, by any mea…
RCW 18.71.015 Commission established—Membership—Qualifications—Duties and powers—Compensation—Order of removal—Vacancies.
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The Washington medical commission is established, consisting of thirteen individuals licensed to practice medicine in the state of Washington under this chapter, two individuals who are licensed in the state of Washington as physician assistants under chapter 18.71A RCW, and six …
RCW 18.71.017 Rules by commission—Successor to other boards.
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(1) The commission may adopt such rules as are not inconsistent with the laws of this state as may be determined necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The commission is the successor in interest of the board of medical examiners and the medical disciplina…
RCW 18.71.019 Application of Uniform Disciplinary Act—Request for review of revocation order.
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The Uniform Disciplinary Act, chapter 18.130 RCW, governs unlicensed practice and the issuance and denial of licenses and discipline of licensees under this chapter. When a panel of the commission revokes a license, the respondent may request review of the revocation order of the…
RCW 18.71.0195 Disciplinary reports—Confidentiality—Immunity.
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(1) The contents of any report filed under RCW 18.130.070 shall be confidential and exempt from public disclosure pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW, except that it may be reviewed (a) by the licensee involved or his or her counsel or authorized representative who may submit any addit…
RCW 18.71.021 License required.
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No person may practice or represent himself or herself as practicing medicine without first having a valid license to do so.[ 1987 c 150 s 46.]Notes:Severability—1987 c 150: See RCW 18.122.901.
RCW 18.71.030 Exemptions.
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Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to apply to or interfere in any way with the practice of religion or any kind of treatment by prayer; nor shall anything in this chapter be construed to prohibit:(1) The furnishing of medical assistance in cases of emergency requiring im…
RCW 18.71.040 Application—Fee.
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Every applicant for a license to practice medicine and surgery shall pay a fee determined by the secretary as provided in RCW 43.70.250.[ 2003 c 275 s 1; 1991 c 3 s 160; 1985 c 322 s 1. Prior: 1975 1st ex.s. c 171 s 6; 1975 1st ex.s. c 30 s 61; 1955 c 202 s 35; prior: 1941 c 166 …
RCW 18.71.050 Application—Eligibility requirements—United States and Canadian graduates.
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(1) Each applicant who has graduated from a school of medicine located in any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Dominion of Canada, shall file an application for licensure with the commission on a form prepared by the secretary…
RCW 18.71.051 Application—Eligibility requirements—Foreign graduates—Waivers.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5185-S.SL) ***(1) Applicants for licensure to practice medicine who have graduated from a school of medicine located outside of the states, territories, and possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Dominion of Canada, shall fi…
RCW 18.71.055 Schools of medicine—Requirements for approval.
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The commission may approve any school of medicine which is located in any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or in the Dominion of Canada, provided that it:(1) Requires collegiate instruction which includes courses deemed by the commis…
RCW 18.71.060 Record of proceedings of commission and of applications.
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The commission shall keep an official record of all its proceedings, a part of which record shall consist of a register of all applicants for licensure under this chapter, with the result of each application. The record shall be evidence of all the proceedings of the commission t…
RCW 18.71.070 Examination—Record.
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With the exception of those applicants granted licensure through the provisions of RCW 18.71.090 or 18.71.095, applicants for licensure must successfully complete an examination administered by the commission to determine their professional qualifications. The commission shall pr…
RCW 18.71.080 License renewal—Human trafficking information—Continuing education requirement—Failure to renew, procedure.
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(1)(a) Every person licensed to practice medicine in this state shall pay licensing fees and renew his or her license in accordance with administrative procedures and administrative requirements adopted as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280.(b) The commission shall request l…
RCW 18.71.083 Maintenance of certification.
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(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the commission may not require a physician to participate in a maintenance of certification requirement as a condition of licensure or license renewal. The commission may allow a physician to fulfill license renewal requir…
RCW 18.71.085 Inactive licenses—Renewal—Application of disciplinary provisions.
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The commission may adopt rules pursuant to this section authorizing an inactive license status.(1) An individual licensed pursuant to chapter 18.71 RCW may place his or her license on inactive status. The holder of an inactive license shall not practice medicine and surgery in th…
RCW 18.71.090 License without examination—Reciprocity—National board examinees—Fee.
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Any applicant who meets the requirements of RCW 18.71.050 and has been licensed under the laws of another state, territory, or possession of the United States, or of any province of Canada, or an applicant who has satisfactorily passed examinations given by the national board of …
RCW 18.71.095 Limited licenses.
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The commission may, without examination, issue a limited license to persons who possess the qualifications set forth herein:(1) The commission may, upon the written request of the secretary of the department of social and health services, the secretary of children, youth, and fam…
RCW 18.71.097 Provisional emergency services provider certification—Eligibility.
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(1) Emergency medical services providers who are currently licensed or certified in another state or who hold a current certification from a national certifying agency approved by the department [of health] are eligible for a Washington provisional emergency services provider cer…
RCW 18.71.100 Applicability of health regulations.
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All persons granted licenses or certificates under this chapter, shall be subject to the state and municipal regulations relating to the control of contagious diseases, the reporting and certifying to births and deaths, and all matters pertaining to public health; and all such re…
RCW 18.71.190 False personation.
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Every person filing for record, or attempting to file for record, the certificate issued to another, falsely claiming himself or herself to be the person named in such certificate, or falsely claiming himself or herself to be the person entitled to the same, is guilty of forgery …
RCW 18.71.200 Physician's trained advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic—Definition.
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As used in this chapter, a "physician's trained advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic" means a person who:(1) Has successfully completed an emergency medical technician course as described in chapter 18.73 RCW;(2) Is trained under the supervision of an approved medi…
RCW 18.71.205 Physician's trained advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic—Certification.
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(1) The secretary of the department of health shall prescribe:(a) Practice parameters, training standards for, and levels of, physician's trained advanced emergency medical technicians and paramedics;(b) Minimum standards and performance requirements for the certification and rec…
RCW 18.71.210 Physician's trained advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic—Liability.
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(1) No act or omission of any physician's trained advanced emergency medical technician and paramedic, as defined in RCW 18.71.200, or any emergency medical technician or first responder, as defined in RCW 18.73.030, done or omitted in good faith while rendering emergency medical…
RCW 18.71.212 Medical program directors—Certification.
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The secretary of the department of health, in conjunction with the state emergency medical services and trauma care committee, shall evaluate, certify and terminate certification of medical program directors, and prescribe minimum standards defining duties and responsibilities an…
RCW 18.71.213 Medical program directors—Termination—Temporary delegation of authority.
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If a medical program director terminates certification, that medical program director's authority may be delegated by the department to any other licensed physician for a period of thirty days, or until a new medical program director is certified, whichever comes first.[ 1986 c 6…
RCW 18.71.215 Medical program directors—Liability for acts or omissions of others.
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The department of health shall defend and hold harmless approved medical program directors, delegates, or agents, including but not limited to hospitals and hospital personnel in their capacity of training emergency service medical personnel for certification or recertification p…
RCW 18.71.220 Rendering emergency care—Immunity of physician or hospital from civil liability.
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No physician or hospital licensed in this state shall be subject to civil liability, based solely upon failure to obtain consent in rendering emergency medical, surgical, hospital, or health services to any individual regardless of age where its patient is unable to give his or h…
RCW 18.71.230 Disciplinary action against persons exempt from licensure.
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A right to practice medicine and surgery by an individual in this state pursuant to *RCW 18.71.030 (5) through (12) shall be subject to discipline by order of the commission upon a finding by the commission of an act of unprofessional conduct as defined in RCW 18.130.180 or that …
RCW 18.71.240 Abortion—Right to medical treatment of infant born alive.
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The right of medical treatment of an infant born alive in the course of an abortion procedure shall be the same as the right of an infant born prematurely of equal gestational age.[ 1981 c 328 s 1.]
RCW 18.71.250 Down syndrome—Parent information.
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A physician licensed under this chapter who provides a parent with a positive prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome shall provide the parent with the information prepared by the department under RCW 43.70.738 at the time the physician provides the parent with the Down …
RCW 18.71.300 Physician health program—Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 18.71.310 through 18.71.340 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Entity" means a nonprofit corporation formed by physicians who have expertise in substance use disorders, mental illness, and other potentially impa…
RCW 18.71.310 Physician health program—License surcharge—Payment of funds.
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(1) The commission shall enter into a contract with the entity to implement a physician health program. The commission may enter into a contract with the entity for up to six years in length. The physician health program may include any or all of the following:(a) Entering into r…
RCW 18.71.315 Impaired physician account—Created.
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The impaired physician account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from RCW 18.71.310 from license surcharges on physicians and physician assistants shall be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may only be used for the physician he…
RCW 18.71.320 Physician health program—Procedures.
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The entity shall develop procedures in consultation with the commission for:(1) Periodic reporting of statistical information regarding physician health program participant activity;(2) Periodic disclosure and joint review of such information as the commission may deem appropriat…
RCW 18.71.330 Impaired physician program—Evaluation of physician.
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If the commission has reasonable cause to believe that a physician is impaired, the commission shall cause an evaluation of such physician to be conducted by the entity or the entity's designee or the commission's designee for the purpose of determining if there is an impairment.…
RCW 18.71.340 Impaired physician program—Entity records protected.
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All entity records are not subject to disclosure pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW.[ 2005 c 274 s 228; 1998 c 132 s 7; 1987 c 416 s 6. Formerly RCW 18.72.321.]Notes:Finding—Intent—Severability—1998 c 132: See notes following RCW 18.71.0195.Effective date—1987 c 416: See note followin…
RCW 18.71.350 Report of malpractice payments by insurers.
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(1) Every institution or organization providing professional liability insurance to physicians shall send a complete report to the commission of all malpractice settlements, awards, or payments in excess of twenty thousand dollars as a result of a claim or action for damages alle…
RCW 18.71.360 Driving records.
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To assist in identifying impairment related to alcohol abuse, the commission may obtain a copy of the driving record of a physician or a physician assistant maintained by the department of licensing.[ 1994 sp.s. c 9 s 334; 1991 c 215 s 2. Formerly RCW 18.72.345.]Notes:Severabilit…
RCW 18.71.401 Funds collected—Where deposited.
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All assessments, fines, and other funds collected or received under this chapter must be deposited in the health professions account and used solely to administer and implement this chapter.[ 1997 c 79 s 1.]Notes:Effective date—1997 c 79: "This act is necessary for the immediate …
RCW 18.71.420 Allocation of all appropriated funds.
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The secretary of health shall allocate all appropriated funds to accomplish the purposes of this chapter.[ 1991 c 3 s 171; 1983 c 71 s 3. Formerly RCW 18.72.400.]
RCW 18.71.430 Secretary and commission relationship.
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(1) The secretary shall employ an executive director that is:(a) Hired by and serves at the pleasure of the commission;(b) Exempt from the provisions of the civil service law, chapter 41.06 RCW and whose salary is established by the commission in accordance with RCW 43.03.028; an…
RCW 18.71.440 Commission to consider amending rules—Retired active physicians.
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(1) The commission shall consider amending its rules on retired active physicians in a manner that improves access to health care services for the citizens of this state without compromising public safety. When considering whether to amend its rules, the commission shall, at a mi…
RCW 18.71.450 Pain management rules—Repeal—Adoption of new rules.
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(1) By June 30, 2011, the commission shall repeal its rules on pain management, WAC 246-919-800 through 246-919-830.(2) By June 30, 2011, the commission shall adopt new rules on chronic, noncancer pain management that contain the following elements:(a)(i) Dosing criteria, includi…
RCW 18.71.460 Commission—Information to legislature.
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In addition to the authority provided in RCW 42.52.804, the commission, its members, or staff as directed by the commission, may communicate, present information requested, volunteer information, testify before legislative committees, and educate the legislature, as the commissio…
RCW 18.71.472 International medical graduates—Clinical assessment.
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Based on recommendations from the international medical graduate implementation work group, the commission shall adopt a clinical assessment to determine the readiness of international medical graduates to apply and serve in residency programs and adopt a grant award process for …
RCW 18.71.475 International medical graduates—Grant funding.
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Subject to appropriation by the legislature and donations received from public and private entities, the department of health shall award grant funding to:(1) Approved entities for career guidance and support services to international medical graduates including, but not limited …