The Board proposed rule amendments are intended to remove language which prohibits physician assistants from performing certain delegated tasks.

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Board of Osteopathic Medicine

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

64B15-6.010Physician Assistant Performance

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The Board proposed rule amendments are intended to remove language which prohibits physician assistants from performing certain delegated tasks.

SUMMARY: The proposed rule amendments delete language which prohibits physician assistants from performing specified tasks which are routinely performed by physician assistants.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION: The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: During discussion of the economic impact of this rule at its Board meeting, the Board concluded that the rule amendments will not have any impact on licensees and their businesses or the businesses that employ them. The amendments delete the prohibition of certain delegable tasks to physician assistants, thereby making the rule less restrictive. The rule will not increase any fees, business costs, personnel costs, will not decrease profit opportunities, and will not require any specialized knowledge to comply. This change will not increase any direct or indirect regulatory costs. Hence, the Board determined that a Statement of Estimated Regulatory Costs (SERC) was not necessary and that the rule will not require ratification by the Legislature. No person or interested party submitted additional information regarding the economic impact at that time.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 459.005, 459.022(4)(a), (13) FS.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 459.022(2), (3), (4), (13) FS.

IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN THE FAR.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Claudia Kemp, J.D., Interim Executive Director, Board of Osteopathic Medicine/MQA, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin # C06, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3256

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

64B15-6.010 Physician Assistant Performance.

(1) No change.

(2) The decision to permit the physician assistant to perform a task or procedure under direct or indirect supervision is made by the supervising physician based on reasonable medical judgment regarding the probability of morbidity and mortality to the patient. Furthermore, the supervising physician must be certain that the physician assistant is knowledgeable and skilled in performing the tasks and procedures assigned.

(a) The following duties are not permitted to be delegated at all except where expressly authorized by statute:

1. Prescribing, dispensing, or compounding medicinal drugs;

2. Final diagnosis.

(b) The following duties are not to be performed under indirect supervision:

1. Routine insertion of chest tubes and removal of pacer wires or left atrial monitoring ring lines;

2. Performance of cardiac stress testing;

3. Routine insertion of central venous catheters;

4. Injection of intrathecal medication without prior approval of the supervising physician;

5. Interpretation of laboratory tests, X-ray studies and EKG’s without the supervising physician’s interpretation and final review;

6. Administration of general, spinal, and epidural anesthetics; this may be performed under direct supervision only by physician assistants who graduated from Board-approved programs for the education of anesthesiology assistants.

(3) through (4) No change.

Rulemaking Authority 459.005, 459.022(4)(a), (13) FS. Law Implemented 459.022(2), (3), (4), (13) FS. History–New 10-28-87, Amended 4-18-89, 9-26-90, Formerly 21R-6.010, 61F9-6.010, Amended 3-13-96, Formerly 59W-6.010, Amended 10-13-98, 3-17-99, 1-12-04, 2-2-10,                             .

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Council on Physician Assistants

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Board of Osteopathic Medicine

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: May 20, 2016

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: March 8, 2016