ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HB 2250: physician assistants; prescribing authority; delegation

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Carter, LD 15

BILL STATUS: Health

Abstract

Relating to physician assistants and prescribing authority.

Provisions

1. Modifies the definition of unprofessional conduct by:

a. Removing habitual intemperance relating to alcohol or substance abuse; and

b. Including exhibiting a pattern of being under the influence or using alcohol or drugs while performing health care tasks or impairing judgement and detrimentally affecting the ability to perform health care tasks. (Sec. 1)

2. Permits the Board to delegate licensing and regulatory duties to the ED. (Sec. 2)

3. Requires the Board to adopt a substantive policy statement for licensing and regulatory authorities delegated to the ED. (Sec. 2)

4. Removes the requirement that prescription orders issued by a physician assistant contain the identifying information of a supervising physician. (Sec. 3)

5. Requires all prescription orders issued by a physician assistant to contain the name, address and phone number of the physician assistant. (Sec. 3)

6. Allows a physician assistant to refill a prescription for a schedule II or III drug without the written consent of a supervising physician. (Sec. 3)

7. Requires drugs dispensed by a physician assistant to be prepackaged by a pharmacist, rather than a supervising physician or pharmacist acting on a supervising physician's written order. (Sec. 3)

8. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-3)

Current Law

A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 25 establishes the Board and its duties.

Prescription orders issued by a physician assistant must contain the name, address and phone number of a supervising physician. Physician assistants are prohibited from prescribing schedule II or III controlled substances for longer than three days as well as prescribing the drug more than five times in a six-month period. Prescriptions for a schedule II or III drug is not allowed to be refilled without the written consent of a supervising physician.

Drugs dispensed by a physician assistant are required to be prepackaged by a supervising physician or a pharmacist acting on the supervising physician's written order. The drugs are also required to have the supervising physician's and physician assistant's name on the label (A.R.S. § 32-2532).

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Fifty-third Legislature                  HB 2250

Second Regular Session                               Version 1: Health

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