§ 17-80-201. Short title

This subchapter shall be known as the “Impaired Physician and Dentist Treatment Act”.

§ 17-80-202. Purpose

The purpose of this subchapter is to provide for the identification and treatment of physicians and dentists licensed under the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, § 17-95-201 et seq., § 17-95-301 et seq., and § 17-95-401 et seq., who suffer from impairment, in order to promote the public health and safety and to ensure the continued […]

§ 17-80-203. Definitions

As used in this subchapter: (1) “Board” means the Arkansas State Medical Board with reference to physicians and the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners with reference to dentists; (2) “Dentists’ health committee” means a dentist committee of the Arkansas State Dental Association composed of dentists who have expertise in the area of alcoholism, drug […]

§ 17-80-204. Authority

The Arkansas Medical Society, Inc. shall have the authority to establish a physicians’ health committee and the Arkansas State Dental Association shall have the authority to establish a dentists’ health committee to undertake the functions and responsibilities to carry out the purposes of this subchapter and may include any of the following: (1) Contracting with […]

§ 17-80-205. Procedures

The physicians’ health committee and the dentists’ health committee shall develop procedures for: (1) Immediate reporting to the appropriate board of the names and results of any contact or investigation regarding any impaired physician or impaired dentist who is believed to constitute an imminent danger to the public or to himself or herself; (2) Reporting […]

§ 17-80-206. Evaluations

(a) If the Arkansas State Medical Board has reason to believe that a physician is impaired or if the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners has reason to believe that a dentist is impaired, either board may cause an evaluation of the physician or dentist to be conducted by the appropriate committee for the purpose […]

§ 17-80-207. Request for restricted license

(a) (1) An impaired physician or an impaired dentist may request in writing to the appropriate board for a restriction of his or her license to practice. (2) The board may grant such a request for restriction and shall have authority to attach conditions to the licensure of the physician to practice medicine or the […]

§ 17-80-208. Confidentiality of records

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of state law, records of the physicians’ health committee pertaining to an impaired physician and all records of the dentists’ health committee pertaining to an impaired dentist shall be kept confidential and are not subject to discovery or subpoena. (2) No person in attendance at any meeting of the physicians’ […]

§ 17-80-209. Participation in treatment program

An impaired physician who is participating in or has successfully completed a treatment program pursuant to this subchapter shall not be excluded from any hospital staff solely because of such participation.

§ 17-80-210. Limitation on liability

(a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Arkansas Medical Society, Inc., the Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association, the physicians’ health committee and members thereof, the Arkansas State Dental Association, and the dentists’ health committee and members thereof shall not be held liable in damages to any person for any acts, omissions, or recommendations made by […]