Little Health Law Blog

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices who are facing an investigation from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This blog covers how the DEA can investigate practitioners who had their DEA registration application denied. If you are being investigated by the DEA, need assistance filing your DEA registration application, the DEA has denied your registration application, or you would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

To prescribe controlled substances, practitioners must apply for a registration with the DEA. The DEA has the authority under federal law to suspend or revoke a practitioner’s DEA registration if the practitioner materially falsified any application for a DEA registration, including renewal applications. A falsity becomes material if Continue reading ›

Our healthcare and business law firm advises physicians and other licensed healthcare providers on professional licensing matters, including medical board investigations and disciplinary proceedings. For North Carolina licensees navigating an active investigation by the North Carolina Medical Board (“NCMB” or “the Board”), one of the most pressing questions is what the process could ultimately mean for your license. This post outlines the range of possible outcomes under the Board’s framework—from no action at all to public disciplinary measures—and identifies some of the considerations that bear on how a case may be resolved. If you would like to discuss a medical board matter or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

(1) Three Categories of Outcome

The NCMB resolves investigations in three general ways: no formal action, private Board action, or public Board action. The outcome in any individual case depends on the unique facts and circumstances of that case, as well as any mitigating or aggravating factors the Board considers relevant—including, for example, whether the licensee has prior history with the Board.

It is worth noting that the Board’s statistics offer some context: on average, approximately 60 percent of matters investigated are closed with Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. In particular, our med spa clients often ask whether they can offer peptides as part of their practice. Peptides have garnered recent popularity among med spas, but offering peptides also carries legal risk. In a prior blog post, our firm wrote that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would reconsider certain peptides for inclusion on the 503A Bulks List. This blog post discusses the results of this meeting that occurred from July 23-24, 2026. If you need assistance setting up a med spa to offer peptides or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

Background of FDA Announcement

On April 15, 2026, the FDA announced it would hold a meeting from July 23-24, 2026, to discuss popular peptides, including BPC-157, TB-500, KPV, and MOTs-C, for inclusion on the 503A Bulks List. If these peptides are included on the 503A Bulks List, this means that the FDA has reclassified them into Continue reading ›

Georgia med spas, IV hydration clinics, and other wellness practices should be aware that the Georgia Composite Medical Board (“GCMB” or “Board”) has begun conducting unannounced site visits at these types of facilities across the state. The Board’s action follows a series of news reports examining oversight of alternative medicine and wellness businesses in Georgia, and the GCMB’s Executive Director, Jason Jones, has publicly confirmed that inspectors have already visited practices in both rural and urban areas of the state, with additional regulatory and legislative changes expected to follow. If you would like to discuss your practice’s compliance with Georgia Composite Medical Board requirements or how to prepare for a potential inspection, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

(1) The Board Is Actively Inspecting, and Plans to Continue

The Board has indicated it intends to keep conducting unannounced visits. The Board has also indicated it plans to (a) put the industry on notice regarding existing licensure and scope-of-practice requirements, and (b) seek new legislation that would impose additional legal limits and registration requirements on med spas and IV treatment facilities. Practices that have not already reviewed their Continue reading ›

Our healthcare and business law firm advises physicians and other licensed healthcare providers on professional licensing matters, including medical board investigations. If you are a North Carolina licensee who has received notice that the North Carolina Medical Board (“NCMB” or “the Board”) has received a complaint or other information about you, understanding what comes next—and what the Board expects from you—is an important first step. This post walks through the Board’s investigative process, from initial notice through final Board review.  A separate post will discuss the potential outcomes of an investigation.  If you would like to discuss a medical board matter or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare and business law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

(1) Why the Board Investigates

The NCMB was established to protect the public, and one of its primary tools for doing so is its authority to investigate and discipline licensees whose professional conduct or ability to practice medicine may fall below accepted standards. That authority is granted by the Medical Practice Act (N.C.G.S. Chapter 90).

Complaints and other information come to the Board from a wide range of sources, including patients and their families, other licensees and healthcare professionals, law enforcement, hospitals and other healthcare institutions (which are required to report changes in staff privileges), malpractice insurance carriers (which report professional liability payments), federal and Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients applying for a physician’s license or nurse’s license ask us if their license application can be approved even though they have a prior criminal record. This blog post discusses a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that would require a hearing process before a licensing board denies an application based on the applicant’s criminal record. As of April 29, 2026, the bill has passed both the Georgia House and Senate, has been sent to the Governor, but has not yet become law. If you are planning to apply for a medical license or nursing license or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

Senate Bill (SB 207) proposes to provide additional rights to licensing applicants whose applications have been denied based on a prior criminal record. If a licensing board intends to deny an application based on a prior criminal record, the bill requires the board to deny or revoke the license only if the felony or “covered misdemeanor” directly relates to the occupation, but the board cannot deny or Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients have asked if they can administer stem cell treatments as part of their practice. This blog post discusses a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that proposes to regulate stem cell treatments. As of April 29, 2026, the bill has passed both the Georgia House and Senate, has been sent to the Governor, but has not yet become law. If you are planning to administer stem cell treatments as part of your practice or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

House Bill 1275 (HB 1275) proposes to regulate stem cell treatments that are intended for regenerative treatments, not for human research purposes. The bill states that physicians, physician assistants, or nurse practitioners can perform non-FDA-approved stem cell therapies if the therapies are Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. Several of our clients have asked if they can administer ketamine for off-label use, especially for treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine has started being administered in psychiatric practices and ketamine clinics, and states are starting to respond to the proliferation of these ketamine clinics.

On March 31, 2026, our firm wrote a blog post about a bill in the Georgia General Assembly that proposed to regulate ketamine clinics. On May 12, 2026, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed this bill, meaning the bill is set to become law on July 1, 2026, unless the bill gives another effective date for certain portions of it. This updated blog post discusses the new law that will regulate ketamine clinics. If you are planning to administer ketamine in your practice, would like to set up a ketamine clinic, or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

The new law, House Bill 717 (HB 717), will regulate facilities that administer “psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy,” which includes ketamine that is administered intravenously. “Psychedelic-assisted treatment and therapy” is defined as any treatment or therapy using psychedelic, dissociative, or other related substances that can produce hallucinations or other similar feelings. The new law will also cover other treatments similar Continue reading ›

Our healthcare law firm works with many providers and healthcare practices to assist them in complying with federal, state, and local laws. In particular, our med spa clients often ask whether they can hire medical assistants to perform certain procedures within their med spa. Medical assistants have a defined scope of practice under state law, and having medical assistants perform procedures outside their scope of practice carries legal risk. This blog covers some main points about a medical assistant’s scope of practice, particularly in Georgia. If you are a medical assistant considering to open up a med spa, planning to hire a medical assistant as part of your med spa, or would like to discuss this blog post, you may contact our healthcare law firm at (404) 685-1662 (Atlanta) or (706) 722-7886 (Augusta), or by email, info@littlehealthlaw.com. You may also learn more about our law firm by visiting www.littlehealthlaw.com.

Medical Assistants Are Able to Perform a Very Limited Amount of Medical Tasks Under Georgia Law, and Most Med Spa Services Are Not Within This Limited Amount of Medical Tasks.

The Georgia Medical Board’s regulations outline what medical tasks medical assistants can do. Under the regulations, physicians can delegate the following tasks to medical assistants: Continue reading ›