PA Chiropractic Jurisprudence cheat sheet

Act 188 of 1986 is Pennsylvania's Chiropractic Practice Act; it creates the State Board of Chiropractic and defines chiropractic as the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral subluxations and related neuromusculoskeletal conditions by manual or mechanical means.

The Board consists of nine members: five licensed chiropractors, one licensed physician, and three public members; members serve four-year terms and require Senate confirmation.

Licensure requires graduation from a Board-approved chiropractic college, passage of Parts I-IV of the NBCE examinations (or Board-accepted equivalent), and completion of the jurisprudence examination.

Continuing education: 24 hours per biennial renewal period, including at least 2 hours in ethics and 2 hours in child abuse recognition and reporting as mandated by the Medical Practice Act amendments.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, practicing beyond the scope of the license, fraud in obtaining a license, and practicing while impaired; the Board may suspend, revoke, or restrict a license and impose civil penalties.

License renewal occurs every two years; failure to renew results in expiration, and continued practice on an expired license is a summary offense subject to criminal prosecution.

The Board may issue a cease-and-desist order and impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation for unlicensed practice, with each day of practice treated as a separate violation.

Records must be retained for at least five years from the date of the last patient encounter, and patient records must be released to the patient or their authorized representative upon written request.

Informed consent must be obtained before initiating treatment and documented in the record; it requires disclosure of diagnosis, proposed treatment, material risks, alternatives, and the right to refuse.

Patient records must document the initial examination, diagnosis, treatment plan, objective findings, progress notes, and any informed consent discussions; documentation must be contemporaneous and legible.

Sexual misconduct or a sexual relationship with a current patient is expressly prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate license suspension or revocation, regardless of consent.

Fee splitting with referral sources who do not provide services, and paying or receiving commissions for patient referrals, are prohibited; percentage-based arrangements with employers for referrals are likewise unethical.

Confidentiality is mandated except where disclosure is required by law, such as suspected child abuse, communicable disease reporting, or court order; HIPAA and Pennsylvania law both apply.

Chiropractors must not treat or advertise beyond their scope; claiming to cure diseases such as cancer or diabetes through spinal adjustment is a deceptive practice subject to Board discipline.

Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; testimonials implying guaranteed results, unsubstantiated superiority claims, and use of the title 'doctor' in a misleading manner are prohibited.

Impaired practice-whether from alcohol, drugs, or physical/mental impairment-requires self-reporting and may result in Board-ordered evaluation and monitoring through a professional health program.

Pennsylvania chiropractors may perform adjunctive procedures only after obtaining Board certification; the certification requires completion of a Board-approved course and passage of an examination specific to the procedure.

Adjunctive procedures within scope include physiotherapy modalities (electrical stimulation, ultrasound, diathermy, traction), therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy techniques, when certified.

Certification in adjunctive procedures requires a minimum number of hours of Board-approved training (commonly 120 hours) covering anatomy, physiology, indications, contraindications, and practical application.

Chiropractors may not perform surgery, prescribe or administer controlled substances, or use invasive procedures outside the scope of the Practice Act, even with adjunctive certification.

Venipuncture and laboratory testing are limited; only those with additional Board-approved certification may perform phlebotomy for diagnostic purposes, and results must be interpreted within chiropractic scope.

Nutritional counseling and supplementation may be provided as adjunctive care when within the chiropractor's training; prescribing therapeutic diets for disease treatment requires additional qualification.

Radiography: chiropractors may take and interpret x-rays for diagnostic purposes within their scope; advanced imaging (MRI/CT) interpretation requires appropriate training and is typically referred out.

Adjunctive procedure certification must be renewed with the license; lapsed certification means the chiropractor may not perform those procedures until recertification is complete.

Act 188 of 1986 is Pennsylvania's Chiropractic Practice Act; it creates the State Board of Chiropractic and defines chiropractic as the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral subluxations and related neuromusculoskeletal conditions by manual or mechanical means.

The Board consists of nine members: five licensed chiropractors, one licensed physician, and three public members; members serve four-year terms and require Senate confirmation.

Licensure requires graduation from a Board-approved chiropractic college, passage of Parts I-IV of the NBCE examinations (or Board-accepted equivalent), and completion of the jurisprudence examination.

Continuing education: 24 hours per biennial renewal period, including at least 2 hours in ethics and 2 hours in child abuse recognition and reporting as mandated by the Medical Practice Act amendments.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, practicing beyond the scope of the license, fraud in obtaining a license, and practicing while impaired; the Board may suspend, revoke, or restrict a license and impose civil penalties.

License renewal occurs every two years; failure to renew results in expiration, and continued practice on an expired license is a summary offense subject to criminal prosecution.

The Board may issue a cease-and-desist order and impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation for unlicensed practice, with each day of practice treated as a separate violation.

Records must be retained for at least five years from the date of the last patient encounter, and patient records must be released to the patient or their authorized representative upon written request.

Informed consent must be obtained before initiating treatment and documented in the record; it requires disclosure of diagnosis, proposed treatment, material risks, alternatives, and the right to refuse.

Patient records must document the initial examination, diagnosis, treatment plan, objective findings, progress notes, and any informed consent discussions; documentation must be contemporaneous and legible.

Sexual misconduct or a sexual relationship with a current patient is expressly prohibited and constitutes grounds for immediate license suspension or revocation, regardless of consent.

Fee splitting with referral sources who do not provide services, and paying or receiving commissions for patient referrals, are prohibited; percentage-based arrangements with employers for referrals are likewise unethical.

Confidentiality is mandated except where disclosure is required by law, such as suspected child abuse, communicable disease reporting, or court order; HIPAA and Pennsylvania law both apply.

Chiropractors must not treat or advertise beyond their scope; claiming to cure diseases such as cancer or diabetes through spinal adjustment is a deceptive practice subject to Board discipline.

Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; testimonials implying guaranteed results, unsubstantiated superiority claims, and use of the title 'doctor' in a misleading manner are prohibited.

Impaired practice-whether from alcohol, drugs, or physical/mental impairment-requires self-reporting and may result in Board-ordered evaluation and monitoring through a professional health program.

Pennsylvania chiropractors may perform adjunctive procedures only after obtaining Board certification; the certification requires completion of a Board-approved course and passage of an examination specific to the procedure.

Adjunctive procedures within scope include physiotherapy modalities (electrical stimulation, ultrasound, diathermy, traction), therapeutic exercise, and manual therapy techniques, when certified.

Certification in adjunctive procedures requires a minimum number of hours of Board-approved training (commonly 120 hours) covering anatomy, physiology, indications, contraindications, and practical application.

Chiropractors may not perform surgery, prescribe or administer controlled substances, or use invasive procedures outside the scope of the Practice Act, even with adjunctive certification.

Venipuncture and laboratory testing are limited; only those with additional Board-approved certification may perform phlebotomy for diagnostic purposes, and results must be interpreted within chiropractic scope.

Nutritional counseling and supplementation may be provided as adjunctive care when within the chiropractor's training; prescribing therapeutic diets for disease treatment requires additional qualification.

Radiography: chiropractors may take and interpret x-rays for diagnostic purposes within their scope; advanced imaging (MRI/CT) interpretation requires appropriate training and is typically referred out.

Adjunctive procedure certification must be renewed with the license; lapsed certification means the chiropractor may not perform those procedures until recertification is complete.