SB 219 - This act modifies the scope of practice for physician assistants. The act changes the definition of the term "supervision" by repealing the requirement that a physician assistant must work in the same facility of a supervising physician sixty-six percent of the time that the physician assistant provides care. The act states that the physician assistant is to only practice where the supervising physician routinely provides care. Supervising physicians and physician assistants also shall sign an attestation which states that the physician assistant will not practice beyond the physician assistant's training and experience. In addition, the definition of supervision provides that the physician assistant and the supervising physician shall work in the same facility for at least four hours every fourteen days of patient care. The requirement that a physician assistant must only practice at locations within thirty miles of the supervising physician is repealed. The act provides that under a supervision agreement a physician assistant may practice at locations which are fifty miles from the supervising physician.
In the case of physician-physician assistant teams, no supervision requirements beyond federal law requirements are necessary for the teams to practice in a rural health clinic.
The act rescinds the requirement that prescriptions shall have the supervising physician's name, address, and telephone number when the controlled substance is prescribed by a physician assistant.
The act modifies the definition of "physician assistant supervision agreement" by adding that the agreement must contain certain elements defined in the act including complete contact information of both the supervising physician and physician assistant, list of locations where the physician assistant is authorized to practice, and the manner of supervision provided.
This act is similar to provisions contained in SS/HCS/HB 315 (2013), HCS/HB 387 (2013), HCS/HB 685 (2013), HCS/SCS/SB 216 (2013), and HCS/SB 330 (2013).
JESSICA BAKER