Section 101. Requirements for a practice agreement

Part IV. Practice Requirements

A. Prior to initiation of practice, a physician assistant and his supervising physician shall enter into a written or electronic practice agreement that spells out the roles and functions of the assistant. Any such practice agreement shall take into account such factors as the physician assistant's level of competence, the number of patients, the types of illness treated by the physician, the nature of the treatment, special procedures, and the nature of the physician availability in ensuring direct physician involvement at an early stage and regularly thereafter. The practice agreement shall also provide an evaluation process for the physician assistant's performance, including a requirement specifying the time period, proportionate to the acuity of care and practice setting, within which the supervising physician shall review the record of services rendered by the physician assistant. The practice agreement may include requirements for periodic site visits by supervising licensees who supervise and direct assistants who provide services at a location other than where the licensee regularly practices.

B. The board may require information regarding the level of supervision, (i.e., "direct," "personal," or "general") with which the supervising physician plans to supervise the physician assistant for selected tasks. The board may also require the supervising physician to document the assistant's competence in performing such tasks.

C. If the role of the assistant includes prescribing for drugs and devices, the written practice agreement shall include those schedules and categories of drugs and devices that are within the scope of practice and proficiency of the supervising physician.

D. If the initial practice agreement did not include prescriptive authority, there shall be an addendum to the practice agreement for prescriptive authority.

E. If there are any changes in supervision, authorization, or scope of practice, a revised practice agreement shall be entered into at the time of the change.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 14, Issue 21, eff. August 5, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 17, Issue 21, eff. August 1, 2001; Volume 19, Issue 18, eff. June 18, 2003; Volume 29, Issue 20, eff. July 3, 2013; Volume 33, Issue 01, eff. October 5, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§ 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.