Any Florida licensed dentist or dental
hygienist practicing in this State who is infected with the Hepatitis B virus
is required to notify the Board of such in writing no later than 14 days after
learning of his or her infection with the Hepatitis B virus. Such notice shall
include a copy of the lab report showing the result of that dentist's or dental
hygienist's Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBSAG) test results. The Board will
respond to the licensee in writing acknowledging the notification and will
provide the licensee with an outline of criteria to be complied with which are
designed to limit the potential spread of the virus. The criteria are:
(a) All licensees infected with the Hepatitis
B virus must successfully complete, no later than 6 months after receiving
acknowledgment of their status from the Board, an educational program approved
by the Board which will aid in a better understanding of the disease. In order
to receive Board approval, the program must be at least 6 clock hours in
duration and the program's curriculum must include, but is not limited to:
1. History and nomenclature of Hepatitis B
virus,
2. Clinical relationship of
Hepatitis B virus to other forms of viral hepatitis,
3. Hepatitis B virus mode of transmission and
replication,
4. Blood curves in the
clinical course of the Hepatitis B virus,
5. Clinical and laboratory characteristics of
Hepatitis B virus infections,
6.
The Hepatitis B virus infected licensee and his or her lifestyle,
7. The Hepatitis B virus infected licensee as
a practicing health care professional,
8. Barrier techniques,
9. The consequences of a break in barrier
techniques,
10. Proper mechanisms
for reporting breaks in barrier techniques,
11. Sterilization and disinfection procedures
in the operatory,
12. Sterilization
and disinfection procedures in the laboratory,
13. Insurance and legal problems of Hepatitis
B virus infected licensees; and,
14. Hepatitis B virus vaccine.
Additionally, to obtain Board approval the program must also
administer a written comprehensive examination covering each of the topics
listed above which must be satisfactorily completed by a participant before the
participant will be certified as having completed the
program.
(b)
Infected licensees will be monitored on a random basis at least once a year by
Board approved consultants for the purpose of verifying compliance with
sterilization, disinfection and barrier techniques. The monitors will verify
compliance by utilizing the criteria set forth in Rule
64B5-25.005, F.A.C.
The random monitoring will be performed in addition to any
checks conducted by any county health department. The monitor's report shall be
forwarded to the Board's Executive Director within 14 days of the monitor's
visit.
(c) Infected
licensees shall notify the patient, the Board's Executive Director and the
local county health department at any time a barrier technique has been or may
have been broken. The patient must be notified immediately. Telephonic
notification must be accomplished within 24 hours and must be followed up by
written notification no later than 72 hours after the barrier technique has
been broken. Notification by the infected licensees shall include, at a
minimum, the following information:
1. What
barrier technique was broken,
2.
Steps undertaken to notify affected patient; and,
3. Steps undertaken to overcome the break in
technique.
