Section 172.15 - Public Health License(a) The board may issue a license that is limited to public health medicine to an applicant pursuant to the authority of § 155.009, Texas Occupations Code, authorizing the board to issue a limited license for the practice of administrative medicine.(b) "Public health medicine," as used in this section, means professional managerial, administrative, or supervisory activities related to public health or the practice of medicine on behalf of and as defined by a governmental entity serving as a public health agency or institution, including prescriptive authority for public health purposes, preventive interventions, diagnosis and treatment of communicable and vaccine preventable diseases, pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation and contraception, and other clinical preventive medicine interventions such as those to prevent obesity and diabetes.(c) An applicant for a public health license must complete the same application and meet the same requirements as an applicant for a full Texas medical license, except: (1) the applicant for a public health license shall not be required to show that the applicant has been engaged in the active practice of medicine, as defined in § 163.11 of this title (relating to Active Practice of Medicine);(2) the applicant must be employed by or under contract with a governmental entity serving as a public health agency or institution; and(3) the application shall be endorsed by a physician affiliated with the governmental entity or the Texas Department of State Health Services. An endorsement must include a certificate by the endorsing physician that the applicant is of good professional character and qualified to perform public health services as defined by the governmental entity.(d) The holder of a public health license shall be required to pay the same fees and meet all other requirements for issuance and renewal of the license as a person holding a full license to practice medicine.(e) The public health license holder's practice of medicine shall be limited to activities on behalf of a governmental entity serving as a public health agency or institution and duties and responsibilities assigned by the governmental entity to the public health license holder. The holder of a public health license may, however, be an employee or under contract with governmental entities other than or in addition to the governmental entity named in license holder's original application for a public health license.(f) The holder of a public health license shall be subject to the Medical Practice Act and the Rules of the board as a person holding a full license to practice medicine. A physician is engaged in the practice of medicine when the physician uses medical training and experience to make a medical decision.(g) This section shall have no effect on any full Texas medical license.(h) Any clinical medicine performed under a public health license may not be used to satisfy the active practice of medicine requirements for full licensure under § 163.11 of this title (relating to Active Practice of Medicine).22 Tex. Admin. Code § 172.15
The provisions of this §172.15 adopted to be effective March 18, 2007, 32 TexReg 1506; amended to be effective July 4, 2012, 37 TexReg 4928