Changes
to the procedures that allow Physician Assistants in Wisconsin to prescribe
medications are now effective as of September 1, 2009. The changes in
the administrative rules create new review duties on supervising
physicians, add some flexibility, and require changes in internal
policies relating to prescribing behavior of Physician Assistants.
Commencing September 1, 2009, supervising physicians are no longer
required to co-sign Physician Assistant prescription orders. Rather
than requiring continuing Physician co-signatures, the new rules
require periodic review the the Physician Assistant’s prescription
orders. The new rule specifies 3 methods that the supervising Physician
may use to meet this review requirement.
Physician Assistants must still prescribe pursuant to written
guidelines and may not prescribe independently. The new regulations
add the requirement that written guidelines governing Physician
Assistant prescribing include the categories of drugs for which
prescribing authority is authorized. The written guidelines must be
kept on file at the prescribing site and must be made available to the
Board of Medicine on request.
These new administrative requirements will require providers to
revise their Physician Assistant prescription guidelines and review
procedures. Supervising Physician reviews should also be conducted
periodically and the review should be completely documented to assure
compliance.