alabama board of medical examiners

What alabama board of medical examiners does

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (ALBME), together with the Medical Licensure Commission (MLC), is a dual state regulatory agency that exercises exclusive statutory authority over the practice of medicine in Alabama. Its core function is licensing and oversight of physicians (MDs and DOs), physician assistants and anesthesiologist assistants (PAs and AAs), certified registered nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives (CRNPs and CNMs), and several specialty practice registrations including controlled substances prescribing (ACSC/QACSC), medical cannabis certification (AMCP), pain management, office-based surgery, and laser/light-based device use.

The agency's operational backbone is its Licensee Gateway online portal, launched in spring 2025, which manages all license applications, renewals, credential verifications, and registration management. Supporting infrastructure includes integration with the state's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, CME Passport, the National Practitioner Data Bank, and Board-approved office-based surgery accreditors (AAAHC, QUAD A, ACHC, The Joint Commission, IAC). The Board also operates a public Licensee Search database and a Credentialer Portal for institutional verifications, publishes a quarterly Medical Digest newsletter, and delivers mandatory continuing education including controlled substances prescribing and professional boundaries courses.

The agency is funded by licensing and registration fees rather than appropriations or commercial revenue. Fee schedules are fixed by regulation and include MD/DO renewal ($300), ACSC ($150), AMCP ($200), Pain Management ($100), PA/AA ($100), QACSC ($60), LPSP ($10), and Collaborative Pharmacy Practice ($200/$50). Headquartered at 848 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama, the Board and Commission jointly serve all Alabama patients through consumer protection, complaint investigation, disciplinary action, and public access to licensee information.

Name

alabama board of medical examiners

Legal name

Alabama Board of Medical Examiners & Medical Licensure Commission

Website

https://albme.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission are dual state agencies that exclusively license and regulate physicians, PAs, AAs, and advanced practice nurses, and oversee controlled substance prescribing, medical cannabis, pain management, and office-based surgery across Alabama.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Practice Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJACAH

Medical Professional Standards & Scope-of-Practice Regulators

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Health Policy, Regulation & Compliance Authorities

SECONDARYHLAJACAC

Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Health Policy, Regulation & Compliance Authorities

SECONDARYHLAJACAB

Healthcare Compliance & Enforcement Authorities

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Health Policy, Regulation & Compliance Authorities

SECONDARYHLAJADAK

Controlled Substances & Narcotics Regulators

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Medicines & Healthcare Product Regulators (Drugs/Biologics/Devices)

Keywords

• Medical licensure regulation
• Physician licensing oversight
• Controlled substances certification
• Medical practice regulation
• Professional licensing authority

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Licensing and Registration Fees: Government regulatory agency funded through fees for license applications, renewals, and registrations. Fees include MD/DO license renewal ($300), ACSC renewal ($150), AMCP renewal ($200), Pain Management registration ($100), PA/AA license renewal ($100), QACSC ($60), and LPSP ($10)

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission are dual state agencies that regulate the practice of medicine in Alabama. They issue physician licenses and specialty registrations (such as controlled substances certificates, medical cannabis permits, pain management registration, office-based surgery registration, and laser/light-based device registration), oversee prescribing authority for advanced practice providers (CRNPs/CNMs and PAs/AAs), and enforce professional conduct standards through complaint investigation and disciplinary actions.

Product overview

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission regulate the practice of medicine in Alabama through a suite of licensing, registration, and oversight products. The core system is the Licensee Gateway online portal, which manages all license renewals and applications. The primary license categories include MD/DO licenses, CRNP/CNM licensing, and PA/AA licensing. Supporting the prescribing authority framework are Alabama Controlled Substances Certificates (ACSC) and Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificates (QACSC) for advanced practice providers, along with specialized registrations including Alabama Medical Cannabis Permit (AMCP), Pain Management Registration, Office-Based Surgery Registration, Laser/Light-Based Device (LLBD) Registration, and Dispensing Physician Registration. The Board provides CME programs including the 12-hour Prescribing and Pharmacology of Controlled Substances course, Professional Boundaries education, and practice-specific courses for collaborative and supervisory relationships. Additional services include the public Licensee Search database, Credentialer Portal for entity verifications, Medical Digest newsletter, and telemedicine guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licensee Gateway Online Portal Online portal where licensees submit license applications, renewals, verifications, and manage registrations including ACSC, AMCP, and pain management.
• MD/DO Licensure Full, limited, RSVP, special purpose, and Interstate Medical Licensure Compact licenses authorizing physicians (MDs and DOs) to practice medicine in Alabama.
• Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (ACSC) Required annual registration for physicians to prescribe controlled substances in Alabama, requiring biennial CME and DEA registration.
• Alabama Medical Cannabis Permit (AMCP) Permit authorizing physicians to certify patients for medical cannabis use in Alabama, requiring current ACSC and Board-approved CME in medical cannabis.
• Pain Management Registration Annual registration required for physicians providing pain management services, including those advertising such services, dispensing opioids, or among top 3% of controlled substance prescribers.
• Office-Based Surgery Registration Three-tiered registration (Level I, II, III) for physicians performing surgery outside hospitals or licensed outpatient facilities, with mandatory accreditation for Level II and III under revised rules effective 2026.
• Laser/Light-Based Device (LLBD) Registration Annual registration for physicians using lasers and energy-based devices for surgical, therapeutic, or cosmetic procedures, with delegation protocols for Level 1 and Level 2 Delegates.
• Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Registration Biennial registration for physician-pharmacist collaborative practice agreements, renewed every two years through the Licensee Gateway.
• Bridge Year Graduate Registration Permit for recent medical school graduates awaiting residency to practice under supervision in Alabama.
• Dispensing Physician Registration Registration for physicians who dispense controlled substances to patients, requiring reporting to the Prescription Drug Monitoring Database.
• CRNP/CNM Licensing and Collaboration Licensing for Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives, including collaborative practice agreements with physicians and QACSC registration.
• PA/AA Licensing and Supervision Licensing and registration for Physician Assistants and Anesthesiologist Assistants, including supervision agreements with physicians and QACSC registration.
• Licensee Search Public searchable database allowing consumers to verify licensee credentials, license status, permit types, and disciplinary actions.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programs Board-sponsored CME courses including Prescribing and Pharmacology of Controlled Substances (12-hour live course), mandatory Professional Boundaries in Medicine (effective January 2025), and practice-specific courses for collaborative and supervisory relationships.
• Credentialer Portal Portal for credentialing entities, insurance companies, and other authorized organizations to verify licensee credentials and receive official verifications.
• QACSC (Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate) Controlled substance prescribing authority certificate for advanced practice providers (CRNP/CNM/PA), requiring initial 12-hour prescribing course and biennial 4-hour renewal CME.
• LPSP (Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit) Permit allowing CRNPs/CNMs to prescribe limited Schedule II controlled substances under collaborative practice agreements with physicians.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)coreOthersADPH serves as a key partner issuing health alerts and guidance that ALBME disseminates to licensees. This includes outbreak alerts, communicable disease reporting requirements, and public health emergency coordination.
• Medical Association of the State of AlabamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint providership of continuing medical education activities. The Medical Foundation of Alabama, accredited by the Medical Association, co-provides CME courses including the Prescribing and Pharmacology of Controlled Substances conference with the Board.
• Alabama Board of NursingcoreOthersJoint rules govern collaborative practice agreements between physicians and CRNPs/CNMs. Both boards jointly establish requirements for collaborative practice and continuing medical education for collaborative practices.
• National Practitioner Data BankcoreOthersFederal database used by the Board for reporting and checking disciplinary actions and malpractice judgments against licensees.
• Board-Approved Accreditation Entities for Office-Based SurgerycoreTechnology or IntegrationBoard requires physician offices performing Level II and III office-based surgery to obtain accreditation from Board-approved entities: AAAHC, QUAD A (formerly AAAASF), ACHC, The Joint Commission, and IAC. These entities must report accreditation actions to the Board.
• Alabama Physician Wellness Program / Alabama Professionals Health ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram established and authorized by the Board of Medical Examiners to encourage early referral of physicians who have problems that could lead to impairment. Reports to the Alabama Physician Wellness Committee are deemed reports to the Board.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB): The NPDB is the federal data bank that ALBME uses to report and check disciplinary actions and malpractice judgments against licensees. It is an adjacent infrastructure peer that supports the Board's discipline and credentialing functions.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): The NBME develops and administers the USMLE and related assessments used in physician licensure. While a testing organization rather than a licensing body, NBME's exam results feed into ALBME and other state boards' licensing decisions, making it an enabling peer in the licensure pipeline.
• Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC): The IMLC is an interstate compact that streamlines medical licensure across participating states, including Alabama. While not a regulator itself, it directly affects ALBME operations because IMLC licensees must renew ACSCs through the Alabama Licensee Gateway, making it an adjacent enabling infrastructure peer.
• AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care): AAAHC is one of the Board-approved accreditation entities required for Alabama office-based surgery facilities at Levels II and III. It is an adjacent enabling peer that extends ALBME's regulatory oversight into ambulatory surgical accreditation.

Direct peers

• New York State Board for Medicine: The New York State Board for Medicine licenses physicians in New York, with equivalent physician licensing, registration of physician assistants, and discipline functions. Its online verification system and renewal cadence are comparable to ALBME's Licensee Gateway.
• Texas Medical Board: The Texas Medical Board is a state regulatory agency that licenses and regulates physicians (MDs/DOs) in Texas, with similar scope including physician licensing, disciplinary authority, and specialized registrations. It is the closest large-scale peer to ALBME given its analogous physician licensing mandate and digital licensing portal operations.
• Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB): The FSMB is a national association of state medical boards, providing shared services including the Physician Data Center, USMLE co-sponsorship, and the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS). While not a single-state regulator, it coordinates closely with ALBME on data exchange, disciplinary reporting, and compact administration.
• Alabama Board of Nursing: The Alabama Board of Nursing regulates nursing practice in Alabama and jointly governs collaborative practice agreements with ALBME for CRNPs and CNMs. It is a co-regulatory peer with overlapping scope for advanced practice providers and shared licensing frameworks.
• Florida Board of Medicine: The Florida Board of Medicine oversees physician licensing, regulation, and discipline in Florida, with comparable functions including MD/DO licensure, controlled substance oversight, office-based surgery registration, and licensee search. It is structurally similar to ALBME as a state-level physician regulator.
• Medical Board of California: The Medical Board of California licenses and disciplines physicians and allied health professionals in California, operating a comparable physician licensing, complaint investigation, and licensee verification function. Its online licensing portal and public license lookup mirror the services ALBME provides in Alabama.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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