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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
physician assistants; physician relationship
(NOW: supervision; physician assistants)
Purpose
Increases the number of physician assistants (PAs) that a supervising physician is permitted to supervise from four to six.
Background
PAs
are licensed to practice medicine within the scope of their supervising
physician’s area of practice. Within the physician-PA relationship, PAs
exercise autonomy in medical
decision-making and are permitted to provide a range of diagnostic and
therapeutic services. A supervising physician is responsible for all aspects of
the performance of a PA, supervising a PA and ensuring that the health are
tasks performed by a PA are within the PA's scope of training and experience
and have been properly delegated by the supervising physician. Every
physician-PA team must ensure that: 1) the PA's scope of practice is
identified; 2) the delegation of medical tasks is appropriate to the PA's level
of competence; 3) the relationship of, and access to, the supervising physician
is defined; and 4) a process for evaluation of the PA's performance is
established. PAs are precluded from performing healthcare tasks until they have
completed and signed a written agreement with a supervising physician. Current
statute prohibits a supervising physician from supervising more than four PAs who
work at the same time (A.R.S. §§ 32-2531;
32-2533;
and
32-2534).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Increases the number of PAs that a supervising physician is permitted to supervise from four to six.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 2/14/19 DPA/SE 9-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/26/19 60-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 11, 2019
CRS/AG/kja