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A02043
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
698
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, MAY 31, 2019
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
MAY 31, 2019
AN ACT
Amending the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112),
entitled "An act relating to the right to practice medicine
and surgery and the right to practice medically related acts;
reestablishing the State Board of Medical Education and
Licensure as the State Board of Medicine and providing for
its composition, powers and duties; providing for the
issuance of licenses and certificates and the suspension and
revocation of licenses and certificates; provided penalties;
and making repeals," further providing for definitions, for
physician assistants and for physician assistant license.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2 of the act of December 20, 1985
(P.L.457, No.112), known as the Medical Practice Act of 1985, is
amended by adding definitions a definition to read:
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Primary supervising physician." A medical doctor who is
registered with the board and designated in a written agreement
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with a physician assistant under section 13(e) as having primary
responsibility for directing and personally supervising the
physician assistant.
* * *
"Substitute supervising physician." A physician who is
registered with the board and designated in a written agreement
with a physician assistant under section 13(e) as assuming
primary responsibility for the supervision of a physician
assistant for no more than 30 consecutive calendar days when the
primary supervising physician is unavailable to provide the
level of supervision and record review which was described in
the written agreement and approved by the board.
* * *
Section 2. Sections 13(e)(1) and (2) 13(e)(2) and 36(e) of
the act are amended to read:
Section 13. Physician assistants.
* * *
(e) Written agreement.--A physician assistant shall not
provide a medical service without a written agreement with [one
or more physicians] a primary supervising physician which
provides for all of the following:
(1) Identifies and is signed by [each physician] the
primary supervising physician, one substitute supervising
physician, if applicable, and the physician assistant [will
be assisting]. * * *
(2) Describes the manner in which the physician
assistant will be assisting each named physician. The written
agreement and description may be prepared and submitted by
the primary supervising physician, the physician assistant or
a delegate of the primary supervising physician and the
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physician assistant . , provided, however, that both the
primary supervising physician and physician assistant shall
personally review, approve and accept the description prior
to submission of the description to the board for the board's
approval. The written agreement shall be signed by the
primary supervising physician, one substitute supervising
physician, if applicable, and the physician assistant. It
shall not be a defense in any administrative or civil action
that the physician assistant acted outside the scope of the
board-approved description or that the supervising physician
utilized the physician assistant outside the scope of the
board-approved description because the supervising physician
or physician assistant permitted another person to represent
to the board that the description had been approved by the
supervising physician or physician assistant.
* * *
Section 36. Physician assistant license.
* * *
[(e) Description of manner of assistance.--The application
shall include a written request from the applicant's supervising
medical doctor who shall file with the board a description of
the manner in which the physician assistant will assist the
supervising medical doctor, which description shall be subject
to the approval of the board.]
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 30 days.
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