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Boards of Dentistry and Pharmacy cite case backlogs and win House funding for investigators, staff pay
Summary
Board officials told the appropriations committee the House added investigators and a 3% staff pay increase to address investigative backlogs and high complaint volumes in dentistry and pharmacy licensure enforcement.
Clint Joiner, executive director for the Georgia Board of Dentistry and the Board of Pharmacy, told the committee the House added funding for an additional criminal investigator for the Board of Dentistry and for new customer service and executive assistant positions for the Board of Pharmacy.
Joiner said the dental investigative unit has been asked to handle roughly 1,200 new cases this year and currently manages about 100 active cases; he said adding one investigator could increase closures by roughly 40 cases annually and that the House addition will bring investigative capacity closer to caseload demand.
Joiner also described efforts to cross-train staff and reduce single points of failure. Both boards received a 3% staff pay increase in the House package, he said; the pharmacy board also requested an additional customer-service representative to address high call volumes.
Senators and representatives on the panel encouraged possible legislation to tighten enforcement where non‑dentists and out‑of‑state operators have skirted rules. No formal legislative actions were taken in the hearing; staff asked the boards to provide implementation timelines and workload estimates tied to the new positions.
