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As the Director for the Division of
Medical Quality Assurance (MQA),
it is my pleasure to present our 2014-2015 Annual Report. The report
is organized around our three key processes of licensure, enforcement
and information with an emphasis on mission- and data-driven results.
As the economy continues to grow, Florida has become the privileged
home to an increased health care workforce. The population of
licensed health care practitioners in Florida increased by 15.9
percent since 2010, while the resident population of Florida
increased by only 5.5 percent. To help sustain this growth, MQA
fosters a culture in which decisions are based on data-and future-
focused targets. Our planning efforts have helped ensure we have
aligned resources where they are most needed:
• Over the next two years, there are over 1.15 million health care
professionals who are required to report their continuing education.
The Are You Renewal Ready? campaign began in January 2015 with a
phased rollout, and is tied to renewal deadlines.
• Since the 2012 tragedy when contaminated compounded medicine sickened 25 and
killed seven Floridians with fungal meningitis, the Department and Board of Pharmacy made rule changes to create safer
compounded products. MQA and the Board of Pharmacy held a workshop in October 2015 with more than 300 industry stakeholders
to educate on USP 797 compliance, and the new inspection standards for Florida permitting. Another public workshop is scheduled
for October 2016.
• Florida is at a turning point in solving a controlled substance prescription dilemma. Fourteen thousand one hundred and ninety
two (14,192) pharmacists and 15,816 prescribers were registered in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) which is
administered by MQA. The PDMP has shown a 61 percent decrease in doctor shopping, and a 20.1 percent decrease in deaths
caused by oxycodone when compared to the last half of 2013.
• MQA’s Unlicensed Activity program protects Florida residents and visitors from the potentially serious and dangerous consequences of
receiving medical and health care services from an unlicensed person. While enforcement remains a top priority, community
outreach, marketing, and education have become critical components of the program’s efforts. We have seen a 72 percent increase
in cease and desists compared to the last fiscal year.
As a Division, we are proud of our focus on mission- and data-driven results. MQA remains committed to understanding the challenges
faced by our health care license applicants, current licensed health care providers and health care consumers. With three bureaus to
steer the division in a unified direction, priorities are given to having a trained customer-focused workforce given technology tools to
make licensing more efficient, to identify regulations that create unnecessary burdens on licensed health care providers, and to protect
Floridians and visitors.
Lucy C. Gee, MS
Division Director