Board of Chiropractic Examiners

The Board of Chiropractic Examiners regulates the practice of licensed chiropractors in Arizona. The Board should improve four key aspects of its complaint-handling process. (1) It should ensure that board and staff decisions about whether to open a complaint are consistent with statutory authority by enhancing its complaint-opening policy to provide additional guidance. (2) It should, where possible, limit its subpoenas to records directly related to the nature of the complaints it is investigating. (3) It should not review a licensee's complaint or disciplinary history until after the complaint is adjudicated to avoid prejudicing its review. (4) It should consider establishing disciplinary guidelines to help ensure that its disciplinary actions are consistent. Finally, like some Arizona health regulatory boards, the Board should seek a statutory change to add a definition clarifying how it can use advisory letters.

In addition, the Board of Chiropractic Examiners Fund's fund balance has decreased since fiscal year 2004. However, the Board has taken action such as seeking fee increases and cutting various expenditures, including contracts or intergovernmental agreements, to address the issue.