24.177.2301    UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

(1) For the purpose of implementing the provisions of 37-11-321, MCA, the board defines immoral or unprofessional conduct, conduct unbecoming a person licensed as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, and conduct detrimental to the best interests of the public as follows:

(a) Engaging in or soliciting sexual relations with a patient, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, sexual contact, or sexual intercourse as defined in 45-2-101, MCA, when such act or solicitation is related to the practice of physical therapy;

(b) Incompetence, negligence, or use of any modality procedure in the practice of the profession, which creates an unreasonable risk of physical or mental harm to the patient;

(c) Failing to make available, upon request of a person using the licensee's services, or his or her designee, copies of documents in the possession and under the control of the licensee, when those documents have been prepared by the licensee relating to his or her services performed on or for the patient;

(d) Any of the following, except when reasonably undertaken in an emergency situation to protect life, health, or property:

(i) accepting and performing physical therapy or physical therapist assistant responsibilities, which the licensee knows or has reason to know that he or she is not competent to perform; or

(ii) failing to refer a patient to a qualified professional when such referral is called for.

(e) Violating statutory child abuse and elderly abuse reporting requirements;

(f) Promoting for personal gain of any unnecessary or inefficacious drug, device, treatment, procedure, or service;

(g) Over utilizing services by continuing treatment beyond the point of possible benefit to the patient, or treating more frequently than necessary to obtain maximum therapeutic effect;

(h) Offering, undertaking, or agreeing to cure or treat disease or affliction by a secret method, procedure, treatment, or medicine, or the treating, operating, or prescribing for any health condition by a method, means, or procedure which the licensee refuses to divulge upon demand of the board;

(i) Failing to adequately supervise auxiliary staff to the extent that the consumer's health or safety is at risk;

(j) Willfully or repeatedly violating rules established by any health agency or authority of the state or a political subdivision thereof;

(k) Fee-splitting and over utilization of services.

 

History: 37-1-131, 37-1-319, 37-11-201, MCA; IMP, 37-1-316, 37-1-319, 37-11-321, MCA; NEW, 1989 MAR p. 833, Eff. 6/30/89; AMD, 1995 MAR p. 2483, Eff. 11/23/95; AMD, 1997 MAR p. 38, Eff. 1/17/97; TRANS, from Commerce, 2005 MAR p. 380; AMD, 2012 MAR p. 1526, Eff. 7/27/12; AMD, 2021 MAR p. 1926, Eff. 12/24/21.