Maryland

United States Physical Therapy Practice Acts

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Temporary License Requirements/Availability

There are no temporary license requirements stated in the physical therapy practice act for Maryland.

Requirements for License

Licensure by Examination: U.S Graduates

• Completed Application Form and Exam Questionnaire
• Application fee of $150
• Post-graduation transcripts sent to the Board Office directly from the Registrar's office
  
• Evidence of Registration for the National Physical Therapy Exam
• Passing score on the Maryland Jurisprudence Examination
  

Licensure by Examination: Foreign Educated

All applicants MUST have a social security number

• Completed Application Form and Exam Questionnaire
• Application fee of $150
• Credentials evaluation report for the State of Maryland from an approved credentialing agency
  
• Evidence of Registration for the National Physical Therapy Exam
  
• Passing score on the Maryland Jurisprudence Examination
  
• Evidence of oral competency in the English language. If not taught in English, the Test of English as a Foreign Language will be required (TOEFL).
  

Licensure by Endorsement: U.S Graduates

Applicant must have a current license in another state

• Completed Application Form
• Application fee of $150
  
• Copy of current out of state physical therapy license showing expiration date
  
• Verification of out of state license
  
• Post-graduation transcripts sent to the Board Office directly from the Registrar's office
  
• Copy of Receipt of request to Transfer NPTE Scores to the Maryland Board
  
• Passing score on the Maryland Jurisprudence Examination
  

Licensure by Endorsement: Foreign Educated

• Completed Application Form
• Application fee of $150
  
• Copy of current out of state physical therapy license showing expiration date
  
• Verification of out of state license
  
• Proof of competency in English language (either recent TOEFL scores or a verification from a physical therapy program)
  
• Credentials evaluation report for the State of Maryland from an approved credentialing agency
  
• Copy of Receipt of request to Transfer NPTE Scores to the Maryland Board
  
• Passing score on the Maryland Jurisprudence Examination
  

Licensure by Transfer: U.S Graduates

For applicants that registered to take or have taken the National Physical Therapy Examination in another state but did not obtain licensure in that state

• Completed Application Form and Exam Questionnaire
• Application fee of $150
  
• Post-graduation transcripts sent to the Board Office directly from the Registrar's office
• Evidence that you have registered or have taken the National Physical Therapy Examination in another state
• Copy of Receipt of request to Transfer NPTE Scores to the Maryland Board
  
• Signed and dated statement that you do not hold a physical therapist license in any state
  
• Passing score on the Maryland Jurisprudence Examination
  

Reinstatement of Licensure

Within 3 years of expiration of license and NEVER licensed in another state

• Completed Reinstatement Application
• Reinstatement fee of $400
• Copies of Continuing Education Certificates for courses taken within past 2 years. That is, 30 contact hours or 3.0 CEUS for a physical therapist or 20 contact hours or 2.0 CEUS for a physical therapist assistant
• Signed and dated statement as to whether or not applicant has continued to practice in Maryland after expiration of the license
  

Maryland license lapsed AND Applicant has a current out-of-state license

• Completed Reinstatement Application
• Reinstatement fee of $400
  
• Copies of Continuing Education Certificates for courses taken within past 2 years. That is 30 contact hours or 3.0 CEUS for a physical therapist or 20 contact hours or 2.0 CEUS for a physical therapist assistant
• Copy of current out of state physical therapy license showing expiration date
• Verification of out of state license
• Signed and dated statement as to whether or not applicant has continued to practice in Maryland after expiration of the license

Supervision

Standards of Practice

The physical therapist who establishes or changes the plan of care shall be ultimately responsible for patient care until another physical therapist provides supervision to the treating physical therapist assistant.

The physical therapist shall:

• Provide direct supervision of students and aides
• Ascertain and periodically reevaluate the ability of students and aides to perform the assigned duties
• Delegate to the physical therapist assistant only treatment that is within the competency and scope of practice of the physical therapist assistant
  
• Provide direction and instruction for the physical therapist assistant that is adequate to ensure the safety and welfare of the patient
  
• Document ongoing communication with the physical therapist assistant regarding changes in a patient's status and treatment plan
  

The physical therapist assistant may participate in the clinical education activities of a physical therapist assistant student if direct supervision of the student is provided by the physical therapist.

The physical therapist assistant may not initiate treatment until a supervising physical therapist has been assigned to the physical therapist assistant.

The physical therapy aide shall be under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist when performing those physical therapy treatments that the aide is permitted to perform.

Exceptions. An aide may:

• Perform non-treatment-related activities, such as secretarial, clerical, and housekeeping duties without direct supervision
• Perform patient-related activities that do not involve treatment (such as transporting patients, undressing and dressing patients, removing and applying assistive and supportive devices) without direct supervision
• Assist a physical therapist assistant when more than one individual is required to ensure the safety and welfare of the patient during ambulation, transfers, or functional activities without direct supervision
  

The following activities may be performed by aides under direct supervision:

• Assist in the practice of gait and ambulation
• Assist in the practice of functional activities
  
• Assist in the practice of transfers
• Assist in the routine follow-up of specific exercise
• Assist in the application of hot or cold packs
• Assist in the procedure of Hubbard tank
• Assist in the procedure of whirlpool
• Assist in the application of contrast bath
• Assist in the application of infrared
• Assist in the application of paraffin bath
  

Physical Therapy Students

The physical therapist is responsible to provide direct supervision of students and periodically reevaluate the ability of students to perform the assigned duties.

Continued Competence

Renewal Requirements

A licensee shall earn CEUs between April 1 and March 31 during the 2-year period before renewal and maintain the records of the course subject, hours, date, and continuing education units to present to the Board on request.

All renewal applications shall be accompanied by a continuing education form to be completed by the licensee.

A physical therapist shall earn 3 CEUs equal to 30 contact hours for the renewal period.

A physical therapy assistant shall earn 2 CEUs equal to 20 contact hours for the renewal period.

CEUs may not be carried over from one renewal period to the next.

Reinstatement Requirements

A physical therapist shall earn 3 CEUs in the 2-year period immediately preceding reinstatement.

A physical therapy assistant shall earn 2 CEUs in the 2-year period immediately preceding reinstatement.

Continuing Education Unit Requirements for Physical Therapy Clinical Practice.

Continuing Education is a requirement for renewal or reinstatement of licenses for a physical therapy clinical practice.

Activities meeting the criteria for continuing education requirements for practice of physical therapy are:

• Postgraduate academic course work in physical therapy taken at an accredited college or university may earn 1 CEU per credit hour
• Attendance at Board-approved or American Physical Therapy Association sponsored continuing education courses or workshops may earn 1 CEU for every 10 contact hours
• Presentation of a continuing education course or workshop may earn 2 contact hours for every hour of presentation with presentations of the same subject matter receiving CEU credit only once in a 2-year period
• Authoring, co-authoring, or editing of a book, book chapter, or refereed journal article may earn 3 CEUs with proof accompanying the request for approval
• Authoring an abstract may earn 1 CEU
• Completion of an approved self-study or internet course may earn 1 contact hour per interactive hour
  
• Postgraduate academic course work or completion of continuing education relevant to the administration of physical therapy practice may earn up to 1.5 CEUs
  

Failure to substantiate CEUs if requested by the Board shall result in denial of license renewal or of reinstatement of a license.

If the licensee has met all the requirements for renewal, the Board may renew a license for the first renewal period following the issuance of the original license without requiring the physical therapist or the physical therapist assistant to complete any CEUs, if, at the time of renewal, the original license was issued 1-year or less before the renewal date.

Does the Act appear restrictive? Why/Why not?

The Act appears to be restrictive and liberal.  The Act appears to be restrictive because it uses language such as "prohibited" and states what is exactly included for each section. For example, in the Requirements for Documentation section under Standards of Practice, it states which information must be included for different types of patient visits.  Also, in the Activities Which May Be Performed by Aides under Direct Supervision section under Physical Therapy Aide, there is a list of activities that may be performed by aides under direct supervision.  The Act also appears to be liberal because it uses language such as "not limited to."  For example, for the Summary Suspensions section, it states what a notice of intent to summarily suspend a license should include and mentions that it is not limited to only those listed. 

Is there anything unusual about this act?

One of the things I noticed that was unusual about this act was that if the Board issues a notice of initial denial to an applicant for a license, the applicant may not withdraw the application without approval from the Board, which was stated in the Notice of Charges or Notice of Initial Denial section under Rules of Procedure for Board Hearings.  I do not quite understand why the applicant must have an approval from the Board before withdrawing his or her application after initial denial of license.

References

Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.  Code of Maryland Regulations [page on the Internet]. Baltimore, MD; [updated 2002 Nov 11; cited 2012 Apr 18]. Available from:http://dhmh.maryland.gov/bphte/SitePages/comar.aspx#chap1

Disclaimer:   Informational Content is assimilated from the state practice act is a resource only and should not be considered a  substitute for the content within the state practice act.  All state practice acts can change and it is recommended that you refer to the original resource in the link above.