(A) The supervising physician is responsible for all aspects of the PA’s practice. Supervision must be continuous but must not be construed as necessarily requiring the physical presence of the supervising physician at the time and place where the services are rendered, except as otherwise required for limited licensees. The supervising physician shall identify the PA’s scope of practice and determine the delegation of medical acts, tasks, or functions. Medical acts, tasks, or functions must be defined in written scope of practice guidelines which must be appropriate to the PA’s ability and knowledge.

(B) Pursuant to scope of practice guidelines, a PA may:

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-47-955

  • Board: means the Board of Medical Examiners of South Carolina. See South Carolina Code 40-47-910
  • 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
  • Telemedicine: means the practice of medicine using electronic communications, information technology, or other means between a licensee in one location and a patient in another location with or without an intervening practitioner. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20

(1) practice in a public place, a private place, or a facility where the supervising physician regularly sees patients; and

(2) make house calls, perform hospital duties, perform telemedicine, and perform any functions performed by the supervising physician if the PA is also qualified to perform those functions.

(C) A PA who has less than two years continuous practice or who is changing specialties may not practice at a location off site from the supervising physician until the PA has sixty days clinical experience on-site with the supervising physician. This sixty-day requirement, or a portion thereof, may be waived by the supervising physician in writing on a form approved by the board and submitted to the board. The supervising physician or alternate must review, initial, and date the offsite physician assistant’s charts periodically as specified in the written scope of practice guidelines to ensure quality of care and patient safety.

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