The Inseparability of Markets and Regulations - Georgia Composite Medical Board - Essay Example

The Georgia Composite Medical Board (GCMB) offers licenses to acupuncturists, physicians’ assistants, physicians, Auricular detoxification experts, and Respiratory care specialists within Georgia. The board investigates medical professionals who dishonor the Medical Practice Act or other related regulations and takes corrective actions (GCMD, 2014). The board certifies that only professionals who have fulfilled the protocols stipulated by the state participate in the provision of medical services.

It formulates and implements policies stipulating how medical practitioners should act in different conditions and/or situation. As such, it protects healthcare consumers by ensuring that the services provided to them are satisfactory and efficiently meet their tastes and preferences. Through licensing, the board controls competition and deviant practices within the medical field. It also safeguards consumers’ interests by guaranteeing that medical costs are within the conventional standards and affordable level (Lee, 2009).

Among the 15 voting members, 11 are physicians with Doctor of Medicine grades, 2 are dynamically practising physicians with Doctor of Physiotherapy degrees, and 2 members are consumer members, who main role is to represent the interests of healthcare consumers (GCMD, 2014). GCMB represents the cultural diversity prevalent in Georgia. The board members are drawn from different regions within the state and represent the various social, economic, and political interests of a diverse population. The board is a fair representation of the community it is serving since it has incorporated the interests of different groups into its mission, goal, and objectives.

However, the board still faces a challenge in regulating medical practitioners due to increased misconducts in the medical sector and the diversity of the field of medicine. New trends in medicine have too posted a challenge for GCMB (Lee, 2009).