Existing law, the Physician Assistant Practice Act, establishes the Physician Assistant Board for the licensure and regulation of physician assistants. Existing law authorizes physician assistants to perform prescribed medical services that are rendered pursuant to a practice agreement and under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon. A violation of that supervision provision is a crime.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the certification and regulation of doctors of podiatric medicine by the Podiatric Medical Board of California, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes physicians and surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine to establish a professional partnership that includes both physicians and surgeons and doctors of podiatric medicine if specified conditions are satisfied.

Existing law authorizes a physician assistant performing medical services under the supervision of a physician and surgeon to assist a doctor of podiatric medicine who is a partner, shareholder, or employee in the same medical group as the supervising physician and surgeon. Existing law requires a physician assistant who assists a doctor of podiatric medicine in this manner to do so only according to patient-specific orders from a supervising physician and surgeon and limits the physician assistant to performing those duties included within the scope of practice of a doctor of podiatric medicine. Existing law requires a supervising physician and surgeon to be available to the physician assistant for consultation when assistance is rendered.

This bill would revise those physician assistant supervision provisions to authorize a physician assistant performing medical services under the supervision of a physician and surgeon to assist a doctor of podiatric medicine who is on the staff of an the same organized health care system or who is a partner, shareholder, or employee in the same partnership, group, or professional corporation as the supervising physician and surgeon, pursuant to a practice agreement. The bill would delete both the restriction requiring that a physician assistant who assists a doctor of podiatric medicine do so only according to patient-specific orders from a supervising physician and surgeon and the requirement that a supervising physician and surgeon be available to the physician assistant for consultation when assistance is rendered to a doctor of podiatric medicine. The bill would authorize a doctor of podiatric medicine to participate in the practice agreement, and would authorize the practice agreement to include a doctor of podiatric medicine to cosign a treatment plan prepared by the physician assistant.