(1) LEGISLATIVE INTENT.—

(a) The purpose of this section is to encourage more effective utilization of the skills of physicians or groups of physicians by enabling them to delegate health care tasks to qualified assistants when such delegation is consistent with the patient’s health and welfare.

(b) In order that maximum skills may be obtained within a minimum time period of education, a physician assistant shall be specialized to the extent that he or she can operate efficiently and effectively in the specialty areas in which he or she has been trained or is experienced.

(c) The purpose of this section is to encourage the utilization of physician assistants by physicians and to allow for innovative development of programs for the education of physician assistants.

(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section:

(a) “Approved program” means a program, formally approved by the boards, for the education of physician assistants.

(b) “Boards” means the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

(c) “Council” means the Council on Physician Assistants.

(d) “Trainee” means a person who is currently enrolled in an approved program.

(e) “Physician assistant” means a person who is a graduate of an approved program or its equivalent or meets standards approved by the boards and is licensed to perform medical services delegated by the supervising physician.

(f) “Supervision” means responsible supervision and control. Except in cases of emergency, supervision requires the easy availability or physical presence of the licensed physician for consultation and direction of the actions of the physician assistant. For the purposes of this definition, the term “easy availability” includes the ability to communicate by way of telecommunication. The boards shall establish rules as to what constitutes responsible supervision of the physician assistant.

(g) “Proficiency examination” means an entry-level examination approved by the boards, including, but not limited to, those examinations administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

(h) “Continuing medical education” means courses recognized and approved by the boards, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, or the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education.

(3) PERFORMANCE OF SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN.—Each physician or group of physicians supervising a licensed physician assistant must be qualified in the medical areas in which the physician assistant is to perform and shall be individually or collectively responsible and liable for the performance and the acts and omissions of the physician assistant. A physician may not supervise more than four currently licensed physician assistants at any one time. A physician supervising a physician assistant pursuant to this section may not be required to review and cosign charts or medical records prepared by such physician assistant.

(4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—

(a) The boards shall adopt, by rule, the general principles that supervising physicians must use in developing the scope of practice of a physician assistant under direct supervision and under indirect supervision. These principles shall recognize the diversity of both specialty and practice settings in which physician assistants are used.

(b) This chapter does not prevent third-party payors from reimbursing employers of physician assistants for covered services rendered by licensed physician assistants.

(c) Licensed physician assistants may not be denied clinical hospital privileges, except for cause, so long as the supervising physician is a staff member in good standing.

(d) A supervisory physician may delegate to a licensed physician assistant, pursuant to a written protocol, the authority to act according to s. 154.04(1)(c). Such delegated authority is limited to the supervising physician’s practice in connection with a county health department as defined and established pursuant to chapter 154. The boards shall adopt rules governing the supervision of physician assistants by physicians in county health departments.

(e) A supervising physician may delegate to a fully licensed physician assistant the authority to prescribe or dispense any medication used in the supervising physician’s practice unless such medication is listed on the formulary created pursuant to paragraph (f). A fully licensed physician assistant may only prescribe or dispense such medication under the following circumstances:

1. A physician assistant must clearly identify to the patient that he or she is a physician assistant and inform the patient that the patient has the right to see the physician before a prescription is prescribed or dispensed by the physician assistant.

2. The supervising physician must notify the department of his or her intent to delegate, on a department-approved form, before delegating such authority and of any change in prescriptive privileges of the physician assistant. Authority to dispense may be delegated only by a supervising physician who is registered as a dispensing practitioner in compliance with s. 465.0276.

3. 1The physician assistant must complete a minimum of 10 continuing medical education hours in the specialty practice in which the physician assistant has prescriptive privileges with each licensure renewal. Three of the 10 hours must consist of a continuing education course on the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications which is offered by a statewide professional association of physicians in this state accredited to provide educational activities designated for the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition Award Category 1 credit or designated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants as a Category 1 credit.

4. The department may issue a prescriber number to the physician assistant granting authority for the prescribing of medicinal drugs authorized within this paragraph upon completion of the requirements of this paragraph. The physician assistant is not required to independently register pursuant to s. 465.0276.

5. The prescription may be in paper or electronic form but must comply with ss. 456.0392(1) and 456.42(1) and chapter 499 and must contain, in addition to the supervising physician’s name, address, and telephone number, the physician assistant’s prescriber number. Unless it is a drug or drug sample dispensed by the physician assistant, the prescription must be filled in a pharmacy permitted under chapter 465 and must be dispensed in that pharmacy by a pharmacist licensed under chapter 465. The inclusion of the prescriber number creates a presumption that the physician assistant is authorized to prescribe the medicinal drug and the prescription is valid.

6. The physician assistant must note the prescription or dispensing of medication in the appropriate medical record.

(f)1. The council shall establish a formulary of medicinal drugs that a fully licensed physician assistant having prescribing authority under this section or s. 459.022 may not prescribe. The formulary must include general anesthetics and radiographic contrast materials and must limit the prescription of Schedule II controlled substances as listed in s. 893.03 to a 7-day supply. The formulary must also restrict the prescribing of psychiatric mental health controlled substances for children younger than 18 years of age.

2. In establishing the formulary, the council shall consult with a pharmacist licensed under chapter 465, but not licensed under this chapter or chapter 459, who shall be selected by the State Surgeon General.

3. Only the council shall add to, delete from, or modify the formulary. Any person who requests an addition, a deletion, or a modification of a medicinal drug listed on such formulary has the burden of proof to show cause why such addition, deletion, or modification should be made.

4. The boards shall adopt the formulary required by this paragraph, and each addition, deletion, or modification to the formulary, by rule. Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 120 to the contrary, the formulary rule shall be effective 60 days after the date it is filed with the Secretary of State. Upon adoption of the formulary, the department shall mail a copy of such formulary to each fully licensed physician assistant having prescribing authority under this section or s. 459.022, and to each pharmacy licensed by the state. The boards shall establish, by rule, a fee not to exceed $200 to fund the provisions of this paragraph and paragraph (e).

(g) A supervisory physician may delegate to a licensed physician assistant the authority to, and the licensed physician assistant acting under the direction of the supervisory physician may, order any medication for administration to the supervisory physician’s patient in a facility licensed under chapter 395 or part II of chapter 400, notwithstanding any provisions in chapter 465 or chapter 893 which may prohibit this delegation.

(h) A licensed physician assistant may perform services delegated by the supervising physician in the physician assistant’s practice in accordance with his or her education and training unless expressly prohibited under this chapter, chapter 459, or rules adopted under this chapter or chapter 459.

(5) PERFORMANCE BY TRAINEES.—Notwithstanding any other law, a trainee may perform medical services when such services are rendered within the scope of an approved program.

(6) PROGRAM APPROVAL.—

(a) The boards shall approve programs, based on recommendations by the council, for the education and training of physician assistants which meet standards established by rule of the boards. The council may recommend only those physician assistant programs that hold full accreditation or provisional accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs or its successor organization. Any educational institution offering a physician assistant program approved by the boards pursuant to this paragraph may also offer the physician assistant program authorized in paragraph (c) for unlicensed physicians.

(b) The boards shall adopt and publish standards to ensure that such programs operate in a manner that does not endanger the health or welfare of the patients who receive services within the scope of the programs. The boards shall review the quality of the curricula, faculties, and facilities of such programs and take whatever other action is necessary to determine that the purposes of this section are being met.

(c) Any community college with the approval of the State Board of Education may conduct a physician assistant program which shall apply for national accreditation through the American Medical Association’s Committee on Allied Health, Education, and Accreditation, or its successor organization, and which may admit unlicensed physicians, as authorized in subsection (7), who are graduates of foreign medical schools listed with the World Health Organization. The unlicensed physician must have been a resident of this state for a minimum of 12 months immediately prior to admission to the program. An evaluation of knowledge base by examination shall be required to grant advanced academic credit and to fulfill the necessary requirements to graduate. A minimum of one 16-week semester of supervised clinical and didactic education, which may be completed simultaneously, shall be required before graduation from the program. All other provisions of this section shall remain in effect.

(7) PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT LICENSURE.—

(a) Any person desiring to be licensed as a physician assistant must apply to the department. The department shall issue a license to any person certified by the council as having met the following requirements:

1. Is at least 18 years of age.

2. Has satisfactorily passed a proficiency examination by an acceptable score established by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. If an applicant does not hold a current certificate issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and has not actively practiced as a physician assistant within the immediately preceding 4 years, the applicant must retake and successfully complete the entry-level examination of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants to be eligible for licensure.

3. Has completed the application form and remitted an application fee not to exceed $300 as set by the boards. An application for licensure made by a physician assistant must include:

a. A certificate of completion of a physician assistant training program specified in subsection (6).

b. Acknowledgment of any prior felony convictions.

c. Acknowledgment of any previous revocation or denial of licensure or certification in any state.

d. A copy of course transcripts and a copy of the course description from a physician assistant training program describing course content in pharmacotherapy, if the applicant wishes to apply for prescribing authority. These documents must meet the evidence requirements for prescribing authority.

(b)1. The license must be renewed biennially. Each renewal must include:

a. A renewal fee not to exceed $500 as set by the boards.

b. Acknowledgment of no felony convictions in the previous 2 years.

c. A completed physician assistant workforce survey, which shall be administered in the same manner as the physician survey established in s. 458.3191 and must contain the same information required in s. 458.3191(1) and (2).

2. Beginning July 1, 2018, and every 2 years thereafter, the department shall report the data collected from the physician assistant workforce surveys to the boards.

3. The department shall adopt rules to implement this paragraph.

(c) Each licensed physician assistant shall biennially complete 100 hours of continuing medical education or shall hold a current certificate issued by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

(d) Upon employment as a physician assistant, a licensed physician assistant must notify the department in writing within 30 days after such employment or after any subsequent changes in the supervising physician. The notification must include the full name, Florida medical license number, specialty, and address of the supervising physician.

(e) Notwithstanding subparagraph (a)2., the department may grant to a recent graduate of an approved program, as specified in subsection (6), who expects to take the first examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants available for registration after the applicant’s graduation, a temporary license. The temporary license shall expire 30 days after receipt of scores of the proficiency examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Between meetings of the council, the department may grant a temporary license to practice based on the completion of all temporary licensure requirements. All such administratively issued licenses shall be reviewed and acted on at the next regular meeting of the council. The recent graduate may be licensed before employment but must comply with paragraph (d). An applicant who has passed the proficiency examination may be granted permanent licensure. An applicant failing the proficiency examination is no longer temporarily licensed but may reapply for a 1-year extension of temporary licensure. An applicant may not be granted more than two temporary licenses and may not be licensed as a physician assistant until he or she passes the examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. As prescribed by board rule, the council may require an applicant who does not pass the licensing examination after five or more attempts to complete additional remedial education or training. The council shall prescribe the additional requirements in a manner that permits the applicant to complete the requirements and be reexamined within 2 years after the date the applicant petitions the council to retake the examination a sixth or subsequent time.

(f) The Board of Medicine may impose any of the penalties authorized under ss. 456.072 and 458.331(2) upon a physician assistant if the physician assistant or the supervising physician has been found guilty of or is being investigated for any act that constitutes a violation of this chapter or chapter 456.

(g) An application or other documentation required to be submitted to the department under this subsection may be submitted electronically.

(8) DELEGATION OF POWERS AND DUTIES.—The boards may delegate such powers and duties to the council as they may deem proper.

(9) COUNCIL ON PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—The Council on Physician Assistants is created within the department.

(a) The council shall consist of five members appointed as follows:

1. The chairperson of the Board of Medicine shall appoint three members who are physicians and members of the Board of Medicine. One of the physicians must supervise a physician assistant in the physician’s practice.

2. The chairperson of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine shall appoint one member who is a physician and a member of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

3. The State Surgeon General or his or her designee shall appoint a fully licensed physician assistant licensed under this chapter or chapter 459.

(b) Two of the members appointed to the council must be physicians who supervise physician assistants in their practice. Members shall be appointed to terms of 4 years, except that of the initial appointments, two members shall be appointed to terms of 2 years, two members shall be appointed to terms of 3 years, and one member shall be appointed to a term of 4 years, as established by rule of the boards. Council members may not serve more than two consecutive terms. The council shall annually elect a chairperson from among its members.

(c) The council shall:

1. Recommend to the department the licensure of physician assistants.

2. Develop all rules regulating the use of physician assistants by physicians under this chapter and chapter 459, except for rules relating to the formulary developed under paragraph (4)(f). The council shall also develop rules to ensure that the continuity of supervision is maintained in each practice setting. The boards shall consider adopting a proposed rule developed by the council at the regularly scheduled meeting immediately following the submission of the proposed rule by the council. A proposed rule submitted by the council may not be adopted by either board unless both boards have accepted and approved the identical language contained in the proposed rule. The language of all proposed rules submitted by the council must be approved by both boards pursuant to each respective board’s guidelines and standards regarding the adoption of proposed rules. If either board rejects the council’s proposed rule, that board must specify its objection to the council with particularity and include any recommendations it may have for the modification of the proposed rule.

3. Make recommendations to the boards regarding all matters relating to physician assistants.

4. Address concerns and problems of practicing physician assistants in order to improve safety in the clinical practices of licensed physician assistants.

(d) When the council finds that an applicant for licensure has failed to meet, to the council’s satisfaction, each of the requirements for licensure set forth in this section, the council may enter an order to:

1. Refuse to certify the applicant for licensure;

2. Approve the applicant for licensure with restrictions on the scope of practice or license; or

3. Approve the applicant for conditional licensure. Such conditions may include placement of the licensee on probation for a period of time and subject to such conditions as the council may specify, including but not limited to, requiring the licensee to undergo treatment, to attend continuing education courses, to work under the direct supervision of a physician licensed in this state, or to take corrective action.

(10) INACTIVE AND DELINQUENT STATUS.—A license on inactive or delinquent status may be reactivated only as provided in s. 456.036.

(11) PENALTY.—Any person who has not been licensed by the council and approved by the department and who holds himself or herself out as a physician assistant or who uses any other term in indicating or implying that he or she is a physician assistant commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.084 or by a fine not exceeding $5,000.

(12) DENIAL, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF LICENSURE.—The boards may deny, suspend, or revoke a physician assistant license if a board determines that the physician assistant has violated this chapter.

(13) RULES.—The boards shall adopt rules to implement this section, including rules detailing the contents of the application for licensure and notification pursuant to subsection (7) and rules to ensure both the continued competency of physician assistants and the proper utilization of them by physicians or groups of physicians.

(14) EXISTING PROGRAMS.—This section does not eliminate or supersede existing laws relating to other paramedical professions or services and is supplemental to all such existing laws relating to the licensure and practice of paramedical professions.

(15) LIABILITY.—Each supervising physician using a physician assistant is liable for any acts or omissions of the physician assistant acting under the physician’s supervision and control.

(16) LEGAL SERVICES.—Legal services shall be provided to the council pursuant to s. 456.009(1).

(17) FEES.—The department shall allocate the fees collected under this section to the council.

History.—ss. 1, 8, ch. 79-302; s. 301, ch. 81-259; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 8, ch. 84-543; s. 8, ch. 84-553; ss. 20, 25, 26, ch. 86-245; s. 29, ch. 88-1; s. 15, ch. 88-277; s. 3, ch. 88-361; s. 26, ch. 89-162; s. 2, ch. 90-60; ss. 33, 34, ch. 90-134; s. 2, ch. 91-22; s. 43, ch. 91-201; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 92-22; s. 108, ch. 94-218; s. 1, ch. 95-231; s. 1, ch. 96-197; s. 223, ch. 97-101; s. 1094, ch. 97-103; s. 27, ch. 97-264; s. 6, ch. 98-49; s. 49, ch. 98-166; s. 155, ch. 99-251; s. 1, ch. 99-370; s. 100, ch. 99-397; s. 107, ch. 2000-160; ss. 27, 42, ch. 2000-318; s. 1, ch. 2001-100; ss. 23, 55, ch. 2001-277; s. 75, ch. 2002-1; s. 76, ch. 2004-5; s. 15, ch. 2004-41; s. 1, ch. 2007-155; s. 75, ch. 2008-6; s. 1, ch. 2008-86; s. 2, ch. 2009-177; s. 1, ch. 2010-55; s. 1, ch. 2012-170; s. 1, ch. 2013-127; s. 15, ch. 2014-18; s. 1, ch. 2016-125; s. 2, ch. 2016-145; ss. 9, 10, 22, ch. 2016-224; s. 17, ch. 2016-230; s. 1, ch. 2017-154.

1Note.—As amended by s. 17, ch. 2016-230. For a description of multiple acts in the same session affecting a statutory provision, see preface to the Florida Statutes, “Statutory Construction.” Section 1, ch. 2016-125, also amended this sentence, and that version reads: “The physician assistant must acknowledge with the department that he or she has completed a minimum of 10 continuing medical education hours in the specialty practice in which the physician assistant has prescriptive privileges with each licensure renewal application.”