PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANT
New Laws Update:
As of January 1, 2020 the new law, SB 697, is enacted. The New PA Practice Act repeals the state law requiring physician delegation of services. This bill has brought our health profession more in line with other similar health professionals laws. No more physician co-signing charts, no physician name, address or phone number on prescriptions, no protocols or formularies needed to practice are required by law now. The Delegation of Services Agreement (DSA) is now called Physician Assistant Practice Agreement. CAPA has a sample to help your practice update your Agreement.
Thank you CAPA for making this come true!
What is a physician assistant (PA)?
Physician assistants (PAs) are trained, licensed individuals who perform tasks that might otherwise be performed by physicians. PAs are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision, which may be either in person, by telecommunication system or by other reliable means. The physician supervision, in most cases, need not be direct or on-site, and many PAs practice in remote or underserved areas in satellite clinics. Their scope of practice and autonomy are only limited by their supervising physician's scope of practice, the physician's comfort level, and the PA's clinical experience.
PAs obtain medical histories and perform examinations and procedures, order treatments, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medication, interpret diagnostic tests, refer patients to specialists when appropriate and first-assist in surgery. They may practice in any medical or surgical specialty.
What services do they provide?
By providing high-quality care and medical counseling PAs can lower the cost of health care for their patients. They order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x-rays, diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, and injuries, prescribe medications and other treatments, manage patients’ overall care, spend the time to counsel their patients, and help them learn how their actions affect their health and well-being.
Where do PAs practice?
PAs can specialize in many areas including acute care, adult health, family health, gerontology health, neonatal health, oncology, pediatric/child health, psychiatric/mental health. Many practice in subspecialty areas such as allergy and immunology, cardiovascular, dermatology, emergency, endocrinology, hematology and oncology, neurology, occupational health, orthopedics, pulmonary and respiratory, sports medicine, urology, etc.
PAs practice in a variety of settings such as rural, urban, and suburban communities. Settings include clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, private physician or NP practices, nursing homes, schools, colleges, prisons, mental hospitals, and public health departments.
State Laws and Prescribing
All states plus the District of Columbia, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the United States Virgin Islands have laws or regulations regarding authorization of PAs to practice and prescribe.