Virginia Code 54.1-2952.1: Prescription of certain controlled substances and devices by licensed physician assistants
A. In accordance with the provisions of this section and pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 33 (§ 54.1-3300 et seq.), a licensed physician assistant shall have the authority to prescribe controlled substances and devices as set forth in Chapter 34 (§ 54.1-3400 et seq.) and as provided in a practice agreement. Such practice agreements shall include a statement of the controlled substances the physician assistant is or is not authorized to prescribe and may restrict such prescriptive authority as deemed appropriate by the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 54.1-2952.1
- Board: means the Board of Medicine. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
- Consultation: means communicating data and information, exchanging clinical observations and assessments, accessing and assessing additional resources and expertise, problem-solving, and arranging for referrals, testing, or studies. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
- Patient care team: means a multidisciplinary team of health care providers actively functioning as a unit with the management and leadership of one or more patient care team physicians for the purpose of providing and delivering health care to a patient or group of patients. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
- Patient care team physician: means a physician who is actively licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth, who regularly practices medicine in the Commonwealth, and who provides management and leadership in the care of patients as part of a patient care team. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
- Patient care team podiatrist: means a podiatrist who is actively licensed to practice podiatry in the Commonwealth, who regularly practices podiatry in the Commonwealth, and who provides management and leadership in the care of patients as part of a patient care team. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
- Physician assistant: means a health care professional who has met the requirements of the Board for licensure as a physician assistant. See Virginia Code 54.1-2900
B. It shall be unlawful for the physician assistant to prescribe controlled substances or devices pursuant to this section unless such prescription is authorized by the practice agreement and the requirements in this section.
C. The Board of Medicine, in consultation with the Board of Pharmacy, shall promulgate such regulations governing the prescriptive authority of physician assistants as are deemed reasonable and necessary to ensure an appropriate standard of care for patients.
The regulations promulgated pursuant to this section shall include, at a minimum, (i) such requirements as may be necessary to ensure continued physician assistant competency, which may include continuing education, testing, and any other requirement and shall address the need to promote ethical practice, an appropriate standard of care, patient safety, the use of new pharmaceuticals, and appropriate communication with patients, and (ii) a requirement that the physician assistant disclose to his patients his name, address, and telephone number and that he is a physician assistant. If a patient or his representative requests to speak with the patient care team physician or patient care team podiatrist, the physician assistant shall arrange for communication between the parties or provide the necessary information.
D. This section shall not prohibit a licensed physician assistant from administering controlled substances in compliance with the definition of “administer” in § 54.1-3401 or from receiving and dispensing manufacturers’ professional samples of controlled substances in compliance with the provisions of this section.
1992, c. 793; 1997, c. 806; 1999, c. 745; 2001, c. 465; 2003, c. 510; 2007, c. 16; 2016, c. 450; 2019, cc. 92, 137; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 210.