CHAPTER 148C
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

 
Enforcement, §147.87, 147.92

Penalty, general, §147.86

Drug dispensing, supplying, and prescribing; limitations, rules,

see §147.107 and 91 Acts, ch 238, §2

  148C.1  Definitions.
  1.  “Approved program” means a program for the education of physician assistants which has been accredited by the American medical association’s committee on allied health education and accreditation or its successor, by the commission on accreditation of allied health educational programs or its successor, or by the accreditation review commission on education for the physician assistant or its successor.
  2.  “Board” means the board of physician assistants created under chapter 147.
  3.  “Department” means the Iowa department of public health.
  4.  “Licensed physician assistant” means a person who is licensed by the board to practice as a physician assistant under the supervision of one or more physicians. “Supervision” does not require the personal presence of the supervising physician at the place where medical services are rendered except insofar as the personal presence is expressly required by this chapter or required by rules of the board adopted pursuant to this chapter.
  5.  “Physician” means a person who is currently licensed in Iowa to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. Notwithstanding this subsection, a physician supervising a physician assistant practicing in a federal facility or under federal authority shall not be required to obtain licensure beyond licensure requirements mandated by the federal government for supervising physicians.
  6.  “Physician assistant” means a person who has successfully completed an approved program and passed an examination approved by the board or is otherwise found by the board to be qualified to perform medical services under the supervision of a physician.
  7.  “Trainee” means a person who is currently enrolled in an approved program.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.1; C81, §148C.1]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §15; 2003 Acts, ch 93, §6 – 8, 14; 2004 Acts, ch 1101, §23; 2007 Acts, ch 10, §105; 2008 Acts, ch 1088, §141
Referred to in 
  148C.2  Repealed by 2003 Acts, ch 93, §  13, 14. 

  148C.3  Licensure.
  1.  The board shall adopt rules to govern the licensure of physician assistants. An applicant for licensure shall submit the fee prescribed by the board and shall meet the requirements established by the board with respect to each of the following:
  a.  Academic qualifications, including evidence of graduation from an approved program. A physician assistant who is not a graduate of an approved program, but who passed the national commission on certification of physician assistants’ physician assistant national certifying examination prior to 1986, is exempt from this graduation requirement.
  b.  Evidence of passing the national commission on the certification of physician assistants’ physician assistant national certifying examination or an equivalent examination approved by the board.
  c.  Hours of continuing medical education necessary to become or remain licensed.
  2.  Rules shall be adopted by the board pursuant to this chapter requiring a licensed physician assistant to be supervised by physicians. The rules shall provide that not more than two physician assistants shall be supervised by a physician at one time. The rules shall also provide that a physician assistant shall notify the board of the identity of the physician assistant’s supervising physician and of any change in the status of the supervisory relationship.
  3.  A licensed physician assistant shall perform only those services for which the licensed physician assistant is qualified by training or not prohibited by the board.
  4.  The board may issue a temporary license under special circumstances and upon conditions prescribed by the board. A temporary license shall not be valid for more than one year and shall not be renewed more than once.
  5.  The board may issue an inactive license under conditions prescribed by rules adopted by the board.
  6.  The board shall adopt rules pursuant to this section after consultation with the board of medicine.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.3; C81, §148C.3; 82 Acts, ch 1005, §5]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §17; 2003 Acts, ch 93, §9, 14; 2004 Acts, ch 1101, §24; 2007 Acts, ch 10, §106
Referred to in 

  148C.4  Services performed by physician assistants.
  1.  A physician assistant may perform medical services when the services are rendered under the supervision of a physician. A physician assistant student may perform medical services when the services are rendered within the scope of an approved program. For the purposes of this section, “medical services when the services are rendered under the supervision of a physician” includes making a pronouncement of death for a patient whose death is anticipated if the death occurs in a licensed hospital, a licensed health care facility, a Medicare-certified home health agency, or a Medicare-certified hospice program or facility, with notice of the death to a physician and in accordance with the directions of a physician.
  2.  a.  Notwithstanding subsection 1, a physician assistant licensed pursuant to this chapter or authorized to practice in any other state or federal jurisdiction who voluntarily and gratuitously, and other than in the ordinary course of the physician assistant’s employment or practice, responds to a need for medical care created by an emergency or a state or local disaster may render such care that the physician assistant is able to provide without supervision as described in this section or with such supervision as is available.
  b.  A physician who supervises a physician assistant providing medical care pursuant to this subsection shall not be required to meet the requirements of rules adopted pursuant to section 148C.3, subsection 2, relating to supervision by physicians. A physician providing physician assistant supervision pursuant to this subsection or a physician assistant, who voluntarily and gratuitously, and other than in the ordinary course of the physician assistant’s employment or practice, responds to a need for medical care created by an emergency or a state or local disaster shall not be subject to criminal liability by reason of having issued or executed the orders for such care, and shall not be liable for civil damages for acts or omissions relating to the issuance or execution of the orders unless the acts or omissions constitute recklessness.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.4; C81, §148C.4]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §18; 2001 Acts, ch 113, §1; 2003 Acts, ch 93, §10, 14; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §263
  148C.5  Repealed by 88 Acts, ch 1225, §  27. 

  148C.5A  Repealed by 2003 Acts, ch 93, §  13, 14. 

  148C.6  Repealed by 88 Acts, ch 1225, §  27. 

148C.6A and 148C.7Repealed by 2003 Acts, ch 93, §  13, 14. 

  148C.8  Right to delegate.
  Nothing in this chapter affects or limits a physician’s existing right to delegate various medical tasks to aides, assistants or others acting under the physician’s supervision or direction, including orthopedic physician’s assistant technologists. Such aides, assistants, orthopedic physician’s assistant technologists, and others who perform only those tasks which can be so delegated shall not be required to qualify as physician assistants under this chapter.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.8; C81, §148C.8]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §22

  148C.9  Eye examination restricted.
  A physician assistant shall not be permitted to prescribe lenses, prisms, or contact lenses for the aid, relief, or correction of human vision. A physician assistant shall not be permitted to measure the visual power and visual efficiency of the human eye, as distinguished from routine visual screening, except in the personal presence of a supervising physician at the place where such services are rendered.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.9; C81, §148C.9]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §23

  148C.10  Applicability of other provisions of law.
  The provisions of chapter 147, not otherwise inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, shall apply to the provisions of this chapter.
[C73, 75, 77, 79, §148B.10; C81, §148C.10]

  148C.11  Prohibition — crime.
  A person not licensed as required by this chapter who practices as a physician assistant is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
[82 Acts, ch 1005, §7]
88 Acts, ch 1225, §24; 2003 Acts, ch 93, §11, 14

  148C.12  Annual report.
  By January 31 of each year the board and the board of medicine shall provide to the general assembly and the governor a joint report detailing the boards’ collaborative efforts and team building practices.
2007 Acts, ch 10, §184; 2007 Acts, ch 218, §189

  148C.13  Investigators for physician assistants.
  1.  The board may appoint investigators, who shall not be members of the board, to administer and aid in the enforcement of the provisions of law relating to physician assistants. The amount of compensation for the investigators shall be determined pursuant to chapter 8A, subchapter IV.
  2.  Investigators authorized by the board have the powers and status of peace officers when enforcing this chapter and chapters 147 and 272C.
2008 Acts, ch 1088, §57