South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
Message To LLR Stakeholders About Regulatory Review Process
Physician Assistants Frequently Asked Questions
What is the percentage of supervision for Physician Assistants?
The supervising physician or alternate supervising physician is responsible for all aspects of the PA’s practice. Physician supervision for a PA on a permanent license is 75% of the PA’s practice time. This shall be interpreted as the supervising/alternate supervising physician being available 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. The supervising physician of a limited licensee must be physically present on the premises at all times when the limited licensee is performing any task.
How often do charts have to be signed by the Supervising Physician?
On site charts do not have to be signed by the supervising/alternate physician; off site charts must be signed within 5 working days, if not signed sooner as proportionate to the acuity of care and practice setting.
What are the requirements for a PA to work at a site different than that of the supervising physician?
PAs who wish to work in an off-site practice (a site different from their supervising physician) must request permission from the Board (application & Scope of Practice Guidelines) and have six months clinical experience with the current supervising physician. There is no fee for Off-Site Practice.
What if the PA has previous experience in off-site practice, does he/she have to wait 6 months before applying for off-site?
Physician Assistant who has at least 2 years continuous practice in South Carolina, in the same practice specialty area, may apply for off-site practice after 3 months of practice with the current supervising physician. This request must also include a letter from the supervising physician justifying the request. All other Physician Assistants must complete the 6-month requirement before being eligible to request off-site practice.
How do I add an alternate supervising physician?
A physician wishing to serve as an alternate supervising physician must request permission from the Board in writing. This request must include the proposed alternate supervising physician’s signature and SC license number. The physician may not begin serving as an alternate supervisor until he/she has received written approval from the Board. In order to serve as a primary or alternate supervising physician, the physician must hold a permanent, unrestricted South Carolina license.
Who is responsible for the PA’s practice?
It is the responsibility of the primary supervising physician to inform all approved alternate supervising physicians of the responsibilities of supervising a physician assistant.
If my primary supervising physician leaves the practice, can my alternate supervising physician assume his role?
No. If the primary supervising physician leaves the practice, the PA must stop working until he/she has written approval from the Board for another physician to serve as his/her supervising physician. An alternate supervising physician may not assume this role without approved from the Board.
What if I discontinue practice with my supervising physician?
If a PA’s employment with the primary supervising physician is terminated, the PA and the supervising physician must notify the Board in writing indicating the reason for termination. A new application must be submitted each time the PA wishes to change or add a primary supervising physician. The PA cannot begin working until written approval from the Board has been received.
What medications can a PA write for?
Medication formulary shall consist of those medications appropriate to the treatment of patients including prescribing medical devices. PA’s are not allowed to write for any Schedules II medications, Ophthalmic Steroids, MAO Inhibitors, Anabolic Steroids, Sublingual Nifedipine for Blood Pressure control or initiation of Class III Antiarrhythmics. Acutane (Isotretinoin), Blood Products, Chemotherapy Agents may be approved for refill only. Toradol may not be prescribed for more than 5 days.
Can A PA write for Controlled/Scheduled drugs?
Yes. Only Controlled/Schedule III-V Drugs. Before a PA can write for Controlled drugs, he/she must first have a state prescriptive authority number (assigned by the Board) and provide documentation of 15 contact hours of education in controlled substances acceptable to the Board. The PA must also apply to DEA for a controlled substance license number. Under no circumstance can a PA prescribe for Schedule II drugs.
