SB 337 — Physician assistants.

Summary

Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, provides for regulation of physician assistants and authorizes a physician assistant to perform medical services as set forth by regulations when those services are rendered under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, as specified. The act requires the supervising physician and surgeon to review, countersign, and date a sample consisting of, at a minimum, 5% of the medical records of patients treated by the physician assistant functioning under adopted protocols within 30 days of the date of treatment by the physician assistant. The act requires the supervising physician and surgeon to select for review those cases that by diagnosis, problem, treatment, or procedure represent, in his or her judgment, the most significant risk to the patient. A violation of those supervision requirements is a misdemeanor. This bill would require that the medical record for each episode of care for a patient identify the physician and surgeon who is responsible for the supervision of the physician assistant. The bill would delete those medical record review provisions, and, instead, require the supervising physician and surgeon to use one or more of described review mechanisms. By adding these new requirements, the violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program by changing the definition of a crime. The act authorizes a physician assistant, while under prescribed supervision of a physician and surgeon, to administer or provide medication to a patient, or transmit orally, or in writing on a patient's record or in a drug order, an order to a person who may lawfully furnish the medication or medical device. The act prohibits a physician assistant from administering, providing, or issuing a drug order to a patient for Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances without advance approval by a supervising physician and surgeon for that particular patient unless the physician assistant has completed an education course that covers controlled substances and that meets approved standards. The act requires that the medical record of any patient cared for by a physician assistant for whom a physician assistant's Schedule II drug order has been issued or carried out to be reviewed, countersigned, and dated by a supervising physician and surgeon within 7 days. This bill would establish an alternative medical records review mechanism, and would authorize the supervising physician and surgeon to use the alternative mechanism, or a sample review mechanism using a combination of the 2 described mechanisms, as specified, to ensure adequate supervision of the administration, provision, or issuance by a physician assistant of a drug order to a patient for Schedule II controlled substances. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/06/15 - Chaptered Current pdf October 06, 2015
• Enrolled 09/08/15 - Enrolled pdf September 08, 2015
• Amended 09/01/15 - Amended Assembly pdf September 01, 2015
• Amended 06/16/15 - Amended Assembly pdf June 16, 2015
• Amended 04/13/15 - Amended Senate pdf April 13, 2015
• Introduced 02/23/15 - Introduced pdf February 23, 2015
• SB337 View text html

Action History

1. October 06, 2015

   Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 536, Statutes of 2015.

2. October 06, 2015

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 10, 2015

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

4. September 04, 2015

   Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2497.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

5. September 03, 2015

   In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

6. September 03, 2015

   Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 80. Noes 0. Page 2851.) Ordered to the Senate.

7. September 01, 2015

   Ordered to third reading.

8. September 01, 2015

   Read third time and amended.

9. August 31, 2015

   Ordered to third reading.

10. August 31, 2015

    Action rescinded whereby the bill was read a third time, passed, and ordered to the Senate.

11. August 18, 2015

    In Assembly. Held at Desk.

12. August 17, 2015

    Ordered to the Assembly.

13. July 16, 2015

    In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

14. July 16, 2015

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 2432.) Ordered to the Senate.

15. July 09, 2015

    Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

16. July 08, 2015

    From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (July 8).

17. June 23, 2015

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (June 23). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

18. June 16, 2015

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

19. June 11, 2015

    Referred to Com. on B. & P.

20. May 26, 2015

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

21. May 26, 2015

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1096.) Ordered to the Assembly.

22. May 12, 2015

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

23. May 11, 2015

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

24. May 01, 2015

    Set for hearing May 11.

25. April 21, 2015

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 0. Page 699.) (April 20). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

26. April 13, 2015

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

27. March 24, 2015

    Set for hearing April 20.

28. March 05, 2015

    Referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

29. February 24, 2015

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 26.

30. February 23, 2015

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

• Pavley · Primary

Votes

Subjects