The Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine have been implementing several healthcare-related bills passed during the 2024 Legislative Session, alongside their regular regulatory duties. These activities are aimed at integrating new rules into the state’s medical framework.
During a February meeting, the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons and Florida Academy of Dermatology petitioned for a rule requiring medspas to display information about their supervising physicians both online and in waiting rooms. The proposed rule would mandate disclosure of the physician’s name, specialty certification, contact details, and locations of other supervised medspas. This initiative was prompted by concerns over unqualified personnel providing substandard services under insufficient supervision.
After discussion, the boards determined they lacked authority to enact such a rule without legislative approval. However, they agreed on its importance for transparency and decided to send a letter supporting relevant legislation to the Legislature.
The Board also reviewed a petition from a physician regarding whether employing and directly supervising naturopathic consultants fell within legal practice boundaries. Since Florida eliminated licensure for naturopaths in 1959, there is no statutory framework for their practice. Although an attempt to reestablish licensure failed in the last session, similar legislation will be considered in 2025. The board denied the petition, stating that having naturopaths consult with patients would constitute unlicensed medical practice and should not be supervised by licensed physicians.
Another issue addressed was whether physician assistants (PAs) holding an area of critical need (ACN) license can prescribe medication under state law. The Florida Academy of Physician Assistants highlighted ambiguity in current statutes following recent legislative changes that added PAs to Section 458.315, F.S., concerning temporary licenses for areas of critical need. Many ACN applications came from Puerto Rico-trained PAs who lack prescriptive authority training; these were approved contingent upon completion of additional education and passing an exam.
The FAPA has requested that Rule 64B8-30.001(7), F.A.C., be updated to clarify that ACN-licensed PAs cannot obtain prescriptive authority—a development being monitored by the Florida Medical Association.
A significant change from Senate Bill 7016 (the Live Healthy bill) was establishing the Graduate Assistant Physician (GAP) limited license for unmatched medical graduates who have passed all parts of required exams but not entered residency programs. GAPs must work under direct supervision by approved physicians—no more than two per supervisor—and may only hold this limited license for up to three years total (two years plus one renewal). Rules outlining supervision requirements took effect November 14, 2024.
Additionally, SB 7016 created a new pathway for foreign-trained physicians to obtain licensure if they meet certain criteria and maintain employment with an in-state provider for at least two years post-licensure. The Board is still finalizing definitions regarding acceptable foreign training programs.
Florida also joined the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), which streamlines licensing across participating states but does not alter existing state laws or disciplinary jurisdiction. Applications through IMLC began processing in December 2024; further information is available via state medical boards.
