Society Seeks Regulation of Medical Lasers
The Pennsylvania Medical Society and representatives of several specialty societies are seeking a meeting with the State Board of Medicine’s Committee on Scope of Practice to discuss creating state regulation of medical lasers.
Currently, except for optometry, there are no specific state regulations governing the use of medical lasers, and lasers are being used increasingly by non-physicians to perform medical procedures. The federal government requires that only physicians or dentists purchase medical lasers and does not regulate who can use them.
This patient safety issue was brought forward by the Specialty Leadership Cabinet, a group of leaders of specialty societies that meets several times a year prior to Medical Society Board of Trustees meetings. The cabinet often brings patient care and safety issues to the Board for action.
The Medical Society believes that laser, pulsed light and radio frequency devices should only be used by physicians and licensed physician assistants, certified registered nurse practitioners and registered nurses who are under the supervision of a physician.
This supervision would include the physician remaining on-site while laser treatments are occurring plus face-to-face meetings between the physician and new patients or established patients for whom a new treatment is proposed.
Last Updated: 9/24/2007