A Web portal providing U.S. physicians with access to free, accredited CME courses about pharmaceutical industry marketing techniques and their effect on prescribing practices has been expanded to include additional courses.

Delegates to the Federation of State Medical Boards' 96th Annual Meeting elected new officers and board members during the organization's House of Delegates meeting on May 3 in San Antonio, Texas.

On May 3, the Federation of State Medical Boards' (FSMB) House of Delegates took the next steps in developing a model policy that will assist states in requiring physicians to demonstrate their continuing competence as a condition of re-licensure.

Nine Individuals to Receive the FSMB's Highest Honors for Exceptional Leadership and Service in Medical Regulation - The Federation of State Medical Boards announced the recipients of its annual awards recognizing outstanding service to the field of medical regulation. The recipients will receive their awards during the FSMB Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, May 1-3, 2008.

The Federation of State Medical Boards Research and Education Foundation (FSMB) is offering every physician a new handbook to help them better manage patients' acute or chronic pain. Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician's Guide offers real-world explanations and practical strategies that address issues of undertreatment of pain, risk of prescription drug abuse and improved patient care.

ONDCP applauds efforts to educate on critical issues - On Saturday, May 5, 2007, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) adopted a policy statement at its annual meeting to develop methods and/or modules of information to be used to educate medical students, residents and practicing physicians regarding the identification of substance use disorders, brief intervention and the proper prescribing of controlled substances.

Delegates to the Federation of State Medical Boards' 95th Annual Meeting elected new officers and board members during the FSMB's Annual Meeting May 3-5 in San Francisco, Calif.

N. Stacy Lankford, M.D., of Elkhart, Ind., was installed as chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards during the organization's Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., May 3-5, 2007.

Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., was voted Chair-Elect of the Federation of State Medical Boards at the organization's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., May 3-5, 2007.

This new report on physician regulation features in-depth looks at some of the many ways state medical boards work to protect health care consumers. The report includes an attachment of board actions taken in 2006.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) announced it has named David Watt, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.A., as the FSMB's new vice president for Professional Affairs. A Portland, Ore., anesthesiologist, Dr. Watt is currently chair of the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has released an enhanced version of Docinfo (www.docinfo.org), the nation's leading source for consolidated state medical board data on U.S. physicians. First introduced in 2001 to provide medical board disciplinary data to consumers, Docinfo has been expanded to include physicians' educational background, medical specialty and licensure history.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) has received a grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth to pilot different models for reducing licensure barriers affecting telehealth and multi-state medical practice.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) Research and Education Foundation was recently awarded a $362,000 grant as part of a national program designed to educate health care professionals about pharmaceutical industry marketing practices and provide tools for accessing unbiased sources of information about drugs.

Delegates to the Federation of State Medical Boards' 94th Annual Meeting elected new officers and board members during the FSMB's Annual Meeting April 20-22 in Boston, Mass., and took action on several proposed policies and resolutions.

J. William McCord Jr., D.O., of Tennessee, was installed as the 85th chief elected officer of the Federation of State Medical Boards during the FSMB's Annual Meeting April 20-22, 2006, in Boston, Mass.

New report by the Federation of State Medical Boards looks at trends in physician regulation and how state boards continuously work to improve medical practice and protect the public as technology and other forces make health care more complex. This report also includes the Annual Summary of Board Actions.