PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PRACTICE

Reinserts the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Provides that "physician assistant practice" means the performance of any medical service (rather than any legal medical service) for which the physician assistant has been prepared by the physician assistant's education, training, and experience and is competent to perform as determined through an employment agreement or the credentialing and privileging system of a licensed facility. Provides that no physician assistant shall use the title of doctor, physician, or associate with his or her name or any other term that would indicate to other persons that the physician assistant is a licensed physician (rather than a title or term that would indicate to other persons that he or she is qualified to engage in the general practice of medicine). Provides that no person shall use the title physician assistant, physician associate, PA, PA-C, or any other term that would indicate to other persons that the person is a licensed or board-certified physician assistant unless the person is licensed as a physician assistant under this Act. In a provision concerning continuing education for physician assistant license renewal, provides that continuing education programs shall be relevant to physician assistant practice (rather than shall be in the physician assistant's area of practice) and may be conducted or endorsed by educational institutions, hospitals, professional associations, or other organizations approved to offer continuing education under the Act or rules. Provides that a physician assistant with optimal practice authority may prescribe Schedule II narcotic drugs only in a consultation relationship with a physician. Provides that the consultation relationship shall be recorded on the Prescription Monitoring Program website, pursuant to the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, by the physician and the physician assistant with optimal practice authority, and is not required to be filed with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Provides that at least monthly, the physician assistant with optimal practice authority and the physician must discuss the condition of any patients for whom a Schedule II narcotic drug is prescribed. Provides that the consultation relationship shall provide for physician availability for consultation on complex clinical cases and prescribing decisions, but shall not require the physical presence of the physician or constitute a written collaborative agreement (rather than a supervisory or collaborative agreement). In a provision concerning limitations, removes the prohibition that, pursuant to the Professional Service Corporation Act and the Medical Corporation Act, a person licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 may not own a corporation for the purposes of practicing medicine. Removes the prohibition that, pursuant to the Professional Limited Liability Company Act, a person licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 may not own a professional limited liability company for the purposes of practicing medicine. Makes other changes.