74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .
 
LC 3118
 
                           A-Engrossed
 
                         Senate Bill 678
                 Ordered by the Senate March 23
           Including Senate Amendments dated March 23
 
Sponsored by COMMITTEE ON HEALTH POLICY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS (at
  the request of Oregon Society of Physician Assistants)
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure.
 
  Authorizes supervising physician of physician assistant to
designate another physician as agent to temporarily supervise
physician assistant.
 
                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to supervision of physician assistants; amending ORS
  677.495 and 677.510.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 677.495 is amended to read:
  677.495. As used in ORS 677.495 to 677.545, unless the context
requires otherwise:
   { +  (1) 'Agent' means a physician designated by the
supervising physician of a physician assistant who supervises the
medical services of the physician assistant for a predetermined
period of time. + }
    { - (1) - }   { + (2) + } 'Committee' means the Physician
Assistant Committee created in ORS 677.540.
    { - (2) - }  { +  (3) + } 'Physician assistant' means a
person who is licensed in accordance with ORS 677.505 to 677.525.
    { - (3) - }   { + (4) + } 'Supervision' means the routine
direction and regular review by the supervising physician, as
determined to be appropriate by the Board of Medical Examiners
for the State of Oregon, of the medical services provided by the
physician assistant. The practice description shall provide for
the maintenance of direct, verbal communication either in person
or by means described in ORS 677.515 (4)(a) but the description
shall not require the physical presence at all times of the
supervising physician.
  SECTION 2. ORS 677.510 is amended to read:
  677.510. (1) A person licensed to practice medicine under this
chapter shall not use the services of a physician assistant
without the prior approval of the Board of Medical Examiners. The
application shall state the name of the physician assistant,
describe the manner and extent to which the physician assistant's
services would be used and supervised, state the education,
training and experience of the physician assistant and provide
such other information in such a form as the board may require.
  (2) The board may approve or reject an application, or it may
modify the proposed use of the services of the physician
assistant and approve the application as modified. When it
appears to the board that the services of a physician assistant
are being used in a manner inconsistent with the approval
granted, the board may withdraw its approval. If a hearing is
requested by the physician or the physician assistant upon the
rejection of an application, or upon the withdrawal of an
approval, a hearing shall be conducted in accordance with ORS
677.200.
  (3) { + (a) + } The supervising physician may have a different
specialty from the physician assistant. A physician assistant may
be supervised by no more than four physicians. A physician may
supervise four physician assistants. { +  A supervising physician
may designate a physician to serve as the agent of the
supervising physician for a predetermined period of time.
  (b) + } The board may review and approve applications from
physicians serving federally designated underserved populations,
or physicians in federally designated health professional
shortage areas, federally designated medically underserved areas
or areas designated as medically disadvantaged and in need of
primary health care providers by the Director of Human Services
or the Office of Rural Health to supervise more than four
physician assistants, and applications from physician assistants
to be supervised by more than four physicians. A physician
assistant may render services in an emergency room and other
hospital settings, a nursing home, a corrections institution and
any site included in the practice description.
  (4) A licensed physician assistant may make application to the
board for emergency drug dispensing authority. The board shall
consider the criteria adopted by the Physician Assistant
Committee under ORS 677.545 (4) in reviewing the application.
Such emergency dispensing shall be of drugs prepared or
prepackaged by a licensed pharmacist, manufacturing drug outlet
or wholesale drug outlet authorized to do so under ORS chapter
689.
  (5) A physician assistant for whom an application under
subsection (1) of this section has been approved by the board on
or after January 2, 2006, shall submit to the board, within 24
months after the approval, documentation of completion of:
  (a) A pain management education program approved by the board
and developed in conjunction with the Pain Management Commission
established under ORS 409.500; or
  (b) An equivalent pain management education program, as
determined by the board.
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