(A) A physician currently possessing an active, unrestricted permanent license to practice medicine under the provisions of this chapter, who accepts the responsibility to supervise a PA’s activities, must enter into a supervisory relationship with a PA licensed pursuant to this article, subject to approval of scope of practice guidelines by the board. The physician must notify the board, in writing, of the proposed supervisory relationship and include the proposed scope of practice guidelines for the relationship. The PA may begin clinical practice with the named supervising physician and alternate physicians ten business days after the scope of practice guidelines have been submitted to the board and until a final determination is made by the board.

(B) A supervising physician may determine that there are additional medical acts, tasks, or functions for which a PA under the physician’s supervision needs additional training or education to meet the needs of the physician’s practice and that the physician would like to incorporate into the PA’s scope of practice guidelines. The physician must determine, in consultation with the PA, the means of educating the PA, which may include training under the direct supervision of the physician, education, or certification of proposed practices or other appropriate educational methods. The physician must notify the board in writing of the requested changes to the PA’s scope of practice guidelines and must provide documentation to the board of the competence of the PA to perform the additional medical acts, tasks, or functions. The PA may incorporate these additional medical acts, tasks, or functions into practice ten business days after the proposed changes have been submitted to the board and until a final determination is made by the board.

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-47-938

  • Board: means the Board of Medical Examiners of South Carolina. See South Carolina Code 40-47-910
  • Business days: means every day except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Certification: means approval by an established body, other than the board, but recognized by the board, that recognizes the unique, minimal requirements of specialized areas of practice. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Committee: means the Physician Assistant Committee as established by this article as an advisory committee responsible to the board. See South Carolina Code 40-47-910
  • Disciplinary action: means a final decision and sanction imposed at the conclusion of a disciplinary proceeding. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • License: means a current document authorizing a person to practice. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Physician: means a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine licensed by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Supervising: means overseeing the activities of, and accepting responsibility for, the medical services rendered by a PA as part of a physician-led team in a manner approved by the board. See South Carolina Code 40-47-910
  • supervising physician: means a South Carolina licensed physician currently possessing an active, unrestricted permanent license to practice medicine in South Carolina who is approved to serve as a supervising physician. See South Carolina Code 40-47-910
  • Supervision: means the process of critically observing, directing, and evaluating another person's performance, unless otherwise provided by law. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20

(C) The board shall review and determine whether to approve these proposed scope of practice guidelines or requested changes to the scope of practice guidelines within ten business days after receipt of notice from the supervising physician as required by subsections (A) and (B). If the board needs additional information or clarification, a physician member of the board must contact the supervisory physician within ten business days of receipt of the physician’s notice. If the board requests additional information or clarification to consider approval of scope of practice guidelines or changes to these guidelines, the supervising physician shall provide it in a timely manner; and upon receipt, a determination regarding approval must be made within three business days. If the proposed scope of practice guidelines or proposed changes, or a portion thereof, is disapproved by the board, then the board must provide a written explanation for its determination and a suggested remedy if possible. Upon receipt of the board’s determination, the supervising physician and PA must practice in accordance with the board’s determination.

(D) If a PA is to be employed by a hospital system or provider group with a credentialing committee, then the credentialing committee may begin the credentialing process necessary to employ the PA upon submittal of the proposed scope of practice guidelines to the board.

(E) A physician and a PA beginning practice pursuant to this section under a proposed scope of practice guidelines or proposed changes to a scope of practice guidelines ten business days after submittal to the board, but before a determination is made by the board, must not be subject to any disciplinary action for beginning practice.