Mississippi

United States Physical Therapy Practice Acts

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Temporary License Requirements/Availability

In order to obtain a temporary license the individual must fit the following criteria:

• have not taken the licensure exam yet but are registered, or 
• have taken the exam but have not yet received the scores
  
• the individual must fit the other criteria set for obtaining a license, which are listed in the section below
  

A temporary license is only valid for 90 days beyond the next scheduled exam and during that 90 day time period the individual must be under direct supervision of a licensed PT.  If an individual does not pass the licensure exam, the temporary license must be revoked.

If a licensed PT is moving into Mississippi they are able to get a 60 day temporary license while they are waiting for their Mississippi licensure to come through.

Requirements for License

An individual wanting to obtain a license must have the following:

• good moral character that aligns with the profession's ethical standards and behaviors
  
• graduated from an accredited physical therapy program
  
• passed the licensure exam with at least minimal passing score

If an individual takes the test 5 times without passing, they are not permitted to take the test in Mississippi

Individual may apply for reciprocity. The individual must have a valid license from another state.

If an individual as trained in a foreign country they must have the following to obtain a license:

• good moral character
• have a diploma obtained from an institute approved by the board
• evidence of professional education substantially equivalent to the applicant that is applying for licensure within the states
• demonstrate proficiency in the English language

Supervision

Physical therapists are required to provide direct supervision to individuals with temporary licenses.  Direct supervision means:

• face to face communication on a daily basis
• observe the temporarily licensed therapist 2 hours per day
• available by telecommunication at any point if the licensed PT is not on the premises

Physical Therapy Students

SEC. 73-23-39. Persons permitted to practice without license; terms

Students must be under the direct, on-site supervision of a licensed physical therapist.  Direct, on-site supervision is considered direct, face to face oversite at regular intervals.

Continued Competence

There is a yearly requirement of 24 hours of continuing education, or 2.4 CEU's.  The year spans from July 1st-June 30th every year and there is no carry over of CEU's beyond 2.4 earned in one year time frame.

There are three requirements for the 24 hours of continuing education:

• at least 6 hours must be directly related to the clinical practice
• at least 2 hours must be used on board approved ethics/professional responsibility programs
• as of July 1, 2012 only 12 hours can be from online training

If an individual fails to receive these CEUs they must be issued a probationary license.

Continued education hours can be earned from:

• educational programs approved by APTA, AMA, or MPTA
• presentations given in front of PT's or other health care professionals that is directly related to PT
• taking graduate level coursework for credit at an accredited university
• approved home study courses

Does the Act appear restrictive? Why/Why not?

The Act appears restrictive in that they do not have direct access for all patients, but there are quite a few exceptions to the rule. The following is a description taken directly from Mississippi's practice act stating the following:

Physical Therapist may evaluate or provide wellness fitness without a referral.

A physical therapist licensed under the physical therapy law shall not perform physical therapy services without a prescription or referral from a person licensed as a physician, dentist, osteopath, podiatrist, chiropractor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner. However, a physical therapist may perform physical therapy services without a prescription or referral under the following circumstances:

• To children with a diagnosed developmental disability pursuant to the patient’s plan of care.
• As part of a home health care agency pursuant to the patient’s plan of care.
• To a patient in a nursing home pursuant to the patient’s plan of care.
• Related to conditioning or to providing education or activities in a wellness setting for the purpose of injury prevention, reduction of stress or promotion of fitness.
• To an individual for a previously diagnosed condition or conditions for which physical therapy services are appropriate after informing the health care provider rendering the diagnosis. The diagnosis must have beenmade within the previous one hundred eighty (180) days. The physical therapist shall provide the health care provider who rendered the diagnosis with a plan of care for physical therapy.
  

References

Click below to be directed to Mississippi's Physical Therapy Practice Act

<http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/73/023/index.htm />

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.