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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	June 14, 2017 04:03 PM
From:	Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr. and Sen. Richard L. Alloway, II
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Physician Assistant Practice Act Updates

In the near future Senator Alloway and I will introduce legislation that will help Physician Assistants work and practice with more efficiency in Pennsylvania. Physician Assistants are a critical piece of the healthcare team. Their education and training is in the medical model and provides patients an excellent resource for healthcare. Pennsylvania is one of the premier states for Physician Assistant education, but lags behind legislatively for practicing Pennsylvania Physician Assistants. It is important to note, that we have already worked out an agreement with the Pennsylvania Medical Society. We are unaware of any opposition. Our legislation will do the following: 1. Place a Physician Assistant on the Medical Board and Osteopathic Board with a permanent seat. 2. Remove the requirement of a physician countersignature on patient files. 3. Allows a written agreement to be “filed” instead of “approved” by the Medical and Osteopathic Boards. This will allow Physician Assistants to immediately begin working instead of waiting 120 days or longer for the Medical Boards. 4. Outlines what supervision means, to ensure laws and regulations do not hinder the Physician, Physician Assistant, Patient relationship. To accomplish the intent of the legislation we will need to amend both the Medical Practice Act and the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act. Therefore, we will be introducing two corresponding pieces of legislation. Please join us as we advance the practice act of Physician Assistants.

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