The mission of the Department of Health Professions (DHP)isto ensure safe and competent patient care by licensing health professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to healthcare practitioners and the public.

The work underlying this mission is challenging and complex. DHPconsists of 13 licensing boards that regulate 62 health professions, as well as pharmacy, veterinary, funeral and dental facilities. We issue over 500,000 licenses and permits, investigate complaints against licensees, and inspect pharmacies, funeral homes, dental facilities, and veterinaryestablishments. We also regulate state-wide nursingeducation and pharmacy technician programs.

Our Boards and Advisory Boards rely on 187 gubernatorial appointees to make disciplinary and licensure decisions, set policy, recommend legislation, and promulgate regulations. In FY 2023 and FY 2024, we received 15,593 complaints against licensees, opened 19,661 investigations, took 12,467 disciplinary actions, and suspended or revoked 2,326 licenses.

Compared to the last biennium, the number of investigations increased by 3,351, a 21% increase. There were 22,727 cases in 30 different categories, a 9% growth in cases compared to the last biennium. The majority of cases, overall, involved standard of care issues, but over 3,908 related to the inability to safely practice, drugrelated patient care, and inappropriate prescribing. I call to your attention the robust data contained in the appendices.

DHP is a non-general fund agency, relying on licensing fees, which are among the lowest in the nation. In addition to our licensing boards, the Department is home to the Board of Health Professions (BHP), the Healthcare Workforce Data Center (HWDC), the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP), and the Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program (HPMP).

The BHP advises the Agency Director, the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Governor, and the General Assembly on matters relating to regulation of healthcare providers. The HWDC conducts licensure renewal surveys of selected professions, providing the Commonwealth with valuable supply-side data to help meet the growing healthcare needs of Virginians. The PMP operates a 24/7 database of prescriptions, a resource for physicians and other prescribers in their care of patients and a key tool to prevent misuse or diversion of prescription medications. The HPMP provides monitoring services to qualified healthcare practitioners to assist in the treatment and recovery process to allow for a safe return to practice.

DHP actively collaborates with other agencies and stakeholders on a variety of important healthcare issues, such as expanding the healthcare workforce, expanding interstate licensing compacts, and telemedicine standards. Our Boards, along with the PMP, have been integral to Virginia’s efforts to address the crisis in opioid addiction and substance use disorder.

We hope this report will give you valuable insight into the important role that our health regulatory boards play in Virginia’s healthcare system, as we strive to make sure that regulation keeps pace with the evolving healthcare landscape.

/s/ Arne W. Owens
Director