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

1assist the supervising physician in his practice, the method and
2frequency of supervision, including, but not limited to, the 
3number and frequency of the patient record reviews required by 
4subsection (j.1) and the criteria for selecting patient records 
5for review when 100% review is not required, and the geographic
6location of the physician assistant. <-Upon submission of the 
7application, board staff shall review the application only for 
8completeness and shall issue a letter to the supervising 
9physician providing the temporary authorization for the 
10physician assistant to begin practice. If the application is not 
11complete, including, but not limited to, required information or 
12signatures not being provided or the fee not being submitted, a 
13temporary authorization for the physician assistant to begin 
14practicing shall not be issued. The temporary authorization, 
15when issued, shall provide a period of 120 days during which the 
16physician assistant may practice under the terms set forth in 
17the written agreement as submitted to the board. Within 120 days 
18the board shall notify the supervising physician of the final 
19approval or disapproval of the application. If approved, a final 
20approval of the written agreement shall be issued to the 
21supervising physician. If there are discrepancies that have not 
22been corrected within the 120- day period, the temporary 
23authorization to practice shall expire. There shall be no more
24than four physician assistants for whom a physician has
25responsibility or supervises pursuant to a written agreement at
26any time. In health care facilities licensed under the act of
27July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the "Health Care
28Facilities Act," a physician assistant shall be under the
29supervision and direction of a physician or physician group
30pursuant to a written agreement, provided that a physician

1supervises no more than four physician assistants at any time. A
2physician may apply for a waiver to employ or supervise more
3than four physician assistants at any time under this section
4for good cause, as determined by the board. In cases where a
5group of physicians will supervise a physician assistant, the
6names of all supervisory physicians shall be included on the
7application.

8* * *

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

10(1) The approved physician shall countersign 100% of the
11patient records completed by the physician assistant within a
12reasonable time, which shall not exceed ten days, during each
13of the following time periods:

14(i) The first 12 months of the physician assistant's
15practice post graduation and after the physician
16assistant has fulfilled the criteria for licensure set
17forth in subsection (f).

18(ii) The first 12 months of the physician
19assistant's practice in a new specialty in which the
20physician assistant is practicing.

21(iii) The first six months of the physician
22assistant's practice in the same specialty under the
23supervision of the approved physician, unless the
24physician assistant has multiple approved physicians and
25practiced under the supervision of at least one of those
26approved physicians for six months.

27(2) In the case of a physician assistant who is not
28subject to 100% review of the physician assistant's patient
29records pursuant to paragraph (1), the approved physician
30shall personally review on a regular basis a selected number

1of the patient records completed by the physician assistant.
2The approved physician shall select patient records for
3review on the basis of written criteria established by the
4approved physician and the physician assistant. The number of
5patient records reviewed shall be sufficient to assure
6adequate review of the physician assistant's scope of
7practice.

8* * *

9Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.