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2001 SESSION

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HB 2318 Prescriptive authority of physician assistants; effectiveness study.

Introduced by: S. Chris Jones | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Prescriptive authority of physician assistants. Expands the prescriptive authority of physician assistants, as follows: Schedules V and VI controlled substances on and after July 1, 2001; and Schedules IV through VI on and after January 1, 2003. Currently, physician assistants' prescriptive authority is limited to Schedule VI drugs. The bill also removes the Board of Medicine's responsibility for developing a formulary for the specific drugs that physician assistants are allowed to prescribe and requires the supervising physician or podiatrist to develop a written agreement with each physician assistant under his supervision listing the controlled substances the physician assistant is or is not authorized to prescribe. In addition to the requirement for periodic site visits by physicians or podiatrists who supervise physician assistants that is currently in the law, the regulations of the Board of Medicine will include requirements for continued physician assistant competency, e.g., continuing education, testing, and any other requirement. The regulations must also address the need to promote ethical practice, an appropriate standard of care, patient safety, the use of new pharmaceuticals, and appropriate communication with patients. A second enactment clause requires the Joint Commission on Health Care, with the full cooperation of the Medical Society of Virginia, the Old Dominion Medical Society, the Board of Medicine, the Board of Pharmacy, and physician assistant associations, to study physician assistant prescriptive authority as provided in this act to determine the impact of the authority to prescribe Schedules IV through VI controlled substances and devices on patient care, provider relationships, third-party reimbursement, physician practices, and patient satisfaction with physician assistant treatment. A preliminary report will be submitted to the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions by July 1, 2004, and a final report will be provided to the Governor and the 2005 General Assembly.


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