West Virginia Code 16-5H-7 – Suspension; revocation
(a) The secretary may suspend or revoke a license issued pursuant to this article if the provisions of this article or of the rules promulgated pursuant to this article are violated. The secretary may revoke a clinic's license and prohibit all physicians associated with that pain management clinic from practicing at the clinic location based upon an annual or periodic inspection and evaluation.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-5H-7
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- board: means a board of health serving one or more counties or one or more municipalities or a combination thereof. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Owner: means any person, partnership, association, or corporation listed as the owner of a pain management clinic on the licensing forms required by this article. See West Virginia Code 16-5H-2
- Pain management clinic: means all privately-owned pain management clinics, facilities, or offices not otherwise exempted from this article and which meet both of the following criteria:
(1) Where in any month more than 50 percent of patients of the clinic are prescribed or dispensed Schedule II opioids or other Schedule II controlled substances specified in rules promulgated pursuant to this article for chronic pain resulting from conditions that are not terminal. See West Virginia Code 16-5H-2
- Physician: means an individual authorized to practice medicine or surgery or osteopathic medicine or surgery in this state. See West Virginia Code 16-5H-2
- Secretary: means the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5H-2
(b) Before any such license is suspended or revoked, however, written notice shall be given to the licensee, stating the grounds of the complaint and shall provide notice of the right to request a hearing. The notice shall be sent by certified mail to the licensee at the address where the pain management clinic concerned is located. The licensee shall be entitled to be represented by legal counsel at the hearing.
(c) If a license is revoked pursuant to this article, a new application for a license may be considered by the secretary if, when and after the conditions upon which revocation was based have been corrected, and evidence of this fact has been furnished to the secretary. A new license may then be granted after proper inspection has been made and all provisions of this article and rules promulgated pursuant to this article have been satisfied.
(d) All of the pertinent provisions of article five, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code shall apply and govern any hearing authorized and required by the provisions of this article and the administrative procedure in connection therewith.
(e) Any applicant or licensee who is dissatisfied with the decision of the secretary as a result of the hearing provided in this section may, within thirty days after receiving notice of the decision, appeal the decision to the circuit court of Kanawha County, in term or in vacation, for judicial review of the decision.
(f) The court may affirm, modify or reverse the decision of the secretary and either the applicant or licensee or the secretary may appeal from the court's decision to the Supreme Court of Appeals.
(g) If the license of a pain management clinic is revoked or suspended, the designated physician of the clinic, any other owner of the clinic or the owner or lessor of the clinic property shall cease to operate the facility as a pain management clinic as of the effective date of the suspension or revocation. The owner or lessor of the clinic property is responsible for removing all signs and symbols identifying the premises as a pain management clinic within thirty days.
(h) Upon the effective date of the suspension or revocation, the designated physician of the pain management clinic shall advise the secretary and the Board of Pharmacy of the disposition of all drugs located on the premises. The disposition is subject to the supervision and approval of the secretary. Drugs that are purchased or held by a pain management clinic that is not licensed may be deemed adulterated.
(i) If the license of a pain management clinic is suspended or revoked, any person named in the licensing documents of the clinic, including persons owning or operating the pain management clinic, may not, as an individual or as part of a group, apply to operate another pain management clinic for five years after the date of suspension or revocation.
(j) The period of suspension for the license of a pain management clinic shall be prescribed by the secretary, but may not exceed one year.