Interstate Medical Licensure Compact sees growth during pandemic

Use of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) grew by 47% during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the IMLC Commission, more than 8,000 licenses were issued through the compact from March 2020 to March 2021. During the previous 12-month period, nearly 4,000 licenses were issued.

The states that issued the most licenses during the pandemic were Wisconsin (330), Arizona (324), Illinois (303), Colorado (299), and Nevada (283).

The IMLC was created to make the licensure process more efficient for physicians who practice in multiple states, while also aiming to maintain the integrity and standards of the individual state licensing boards. Since 2017, more than 17,000 licenses have been issued through the compact, meaning nearly half were issued during the pandemic.

Currently 30 states, as well as Guam and the District of Columbia, are members of the IMLC. Legislation to join has been introduced this year in eight additional states.

Source: AMA