The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) has received several inquiries from members regarding the possibility that the North Carolina Medical Board will implement new maintenance-of-licensure (MOL) requirements that are based on private sector maintenance of certification (MOC) programs. Based on NCMS conversations with staff at the Medical Board, it is clear that the Board has decided not to pursue adoption of any MOL rules for the time being. The NCMS has communicated with the Board regarding widespread concern within the physician community about MOC programs, and the current lack of physician support for incorporating any aspect of MOC into a MOL scheme.

Under the current system most state licensing boards, including North Carolina’s, require physicians to self-report CME activities. In April 2010, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) approved an advisory report that creates a framework for revamping MOL rules. The goal is to develop a more robust, continuous professional development system that ensures quality and patient safety, the FSMB said.

Starting in 2012-13, the Federation began approving pilot projects to be administered in association with state boards. The Federation will help analyze and assess the efficacy of maintenance-of-licensure concepts. The North Carolina Medical Board is not among these pilot boards. State boards are under no obligation to the FSMB to ever adopt new MOL requirements, regardless of the outcome of these exploratory projects. Revisions to the Medical Practice Act in 2007, however, authorize the NC Medical Board to “[d]evelop and implement methods to ensure the ongoing competence of licensees.” (See. G.S. § 90-5.1(a)(10). The NCMS will continue to monitor any move toward MOL in North Carolina to ensure physicians are informed and have an opportunity to participate in the debate.