South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners

Message To LLR Stakeholders About Regulatory Review Process

LLR-Board of Medical Examiners

Approved by the Board: July 17-19, 1995 Board meeting

Service Area: Licensure, Physician Assistants

Subject: Definition of Unrestricted Licensure for Purposes of Supervising Physician Assistants or Nurse Practitioners.

POLICY:

It has long been the policy of the Board that a physician who is actively under the terms and conditions of any public action of this Board, including being on probation, does not hold an "unrestricted" license and is, therefore, unable to serve as a Primary or Alternate Supervising Physician for a Physician Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner. The same is true of any physician who is not permanently licensed in South Carolina. While this policy is not written in either statute or regulation, the Board's policy has been consistent, clearly-stated, longstanding, and understood by the medical community.

PROCEDURE:

The Licensing Section will continue to advise applicants for either Supervising Physician or Alternate Supervising Physician for a Physician Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner of the following statement of policy:

Policy of the Board requires that every Primary or Alternate Supervising Physician of a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner hold a permanent, unrestricted license in South Carolina. Physicians who are actively under the terms and conditions of any public action of this Board, including being on probation, do not qualify to serve in this role.