1Amending the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), entitled
2"An act requiring the licensing of practitioners of
3osteopathic medicine and surgery; regulating their practice;
4providing for certain funds and penalties for violations and
5repeals," further providing for physician assistants.

6The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7hereby enacts as follows:

8Section 1. Section 10(g) of the act of October 5, 1978
9(P.L.1109, No.261), known as the Osteopathic Medical Practice
10Act, amended July 20, 2007 (P.L.316, No.47), is amended and the
11section is amended by adding a subsection to read:

12Section 10. Licenses; exemptions; nonresident practitioners;
13graduate students; biennial registration and
14continuing medical education.

15* * *

16(g) The supervising physician shall file with the board an
17application to utilize a physician assistant containing a
18description of the manner in which the physician assistant will
19assist the supervising physician in his practice, the method and

1frequency of supervision, including, but not limited to, the 
2number and frequency of the patient record reviews required by 
3subsection (j.1) and the criteria for selecting patient records 
4for review when 100% review is not required, and the geographic
5location of the physician assistant. There shall be no more than
6four physician assistants for whom a physician has
7responsibility or supervises pursuant to a written agreement at
8any time. In health care facilities licensed under the act of
9July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the "Health Care
10Facilities Act," a physician assistant shall be under the
11supervision and direction of a physician or physician group
12pursuant to a written agreement, provided that a physician
13supervises no more than four physician assistants at any time. A
14physician may apply for a waiver to employ or supervise more
15than four physician assistants at any time under this section
16for good cause, as determined by the board. In cases where a
17group of physicians will supervise a physician assistant, the
18names of all supervisory physicians shall be included on the
19application.

20* * *

21(j.1) Patient record review.--

22(1) The approved physician shall countersign 100% of the
23patient records completed by the physician assistant within a
24reasonable time, which shall not exceed ten days, during each
25of the following time periods:

26(i) The first 12 months of the physician assistant's
27practice post graduation and after the physician
28assistant has fulfilled the criteria for licensure set
29forth in subsection (f).

30(ii) The first 12 months of the physician

1assistant's practice in a new specialty in which the
2physician assistant is practicing.

3(iii) The first six months of the physician
4assistant's practice in the same specialty under the
5supervision of the approved physician, unless the
6physician assistant has multiple approved physicians and
7practiced under the supervision of at least one of those
8approved physicians for six months.

9(2) In the case of a physician assistant who is not
10subject to 100% review of the physician assistant's patient
11records pursuant to paragraph (1), the approved physician
12shall personally review on a regular basis a selected number
13of the patient records completed by the physician assistant.
14The approved physician shall select patient records for
15review on the basis of written criteria established by the
16approved physician and the physician assistant. The number of
17patient records reviewed shall be sufficient to assure
18adequate review of the physician assistant's scope of
19practice.

20* * *

21Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.