Media Release

For: Immediate Release
Date: September 4, 2002
Contact: Robert J. Marshall, Ph.D. 222-1017

Department of Health Extends License Expiration Dates; Physician, Dental, Pharmacy and Nursing Assistant Extended Through October 1, 2002

Today, the RI Department of Health (HEALTH) announced an extension, through October 1, 2002, of expiration dates for certain professional licenses. The affected professions include the following:

• Physician
• Dentist, Dental Hygienist, Dental Anesthesia
• Pharmacist, Pharmacy Intern, Pharmacy Technician
• Pharmacy: Retail, Institutional, Non-Resident
• Drug Manufacturer and Wholesaler: In State and Out of State
• Controlled Substance Registrations
• Nursing Assistant (CNA)

"We want to assure that the difficulties with getting license renewals issued do not affect the ability of individuals or institutions to provide health care services," said Patricia A. Nolan, MD, MPH, Director of the RI Department of Health. "We assigned additional staff and continue to send out renewal forms and process renewal applications as quickly as possible. With 104,000 licensees in 74 categories, and continued pressure on state resources, it’s a challenge to meet all the timetables. We expect to start printing the license renewal cards shortly; then work on eliminating the backlog. Until then, people can use this notice and the information on our website to verify that health professionals are duly licensed in Rhode Island. It’s not the best arrangement, but we appreciate everyone’s patience."

For health professionals who already completed the renewal process (but have not yet received a license renewal card), HEALTH officials noted that the new expiration dates will appear on the Licensee Verification Lookup page of the RI Department of Health website at:
http://www.health.ri.gov/hsr/professions/License.htm

As updates occur, interested parties may print individual license renewal verifications from the HEALTH website—a valid primary source verification of licensure that meets the standards of JCAHO and NCQA. HEALTH will mail renewed license cards and wall permits after October 1, 2002.