Physician assistants (PAs) are an integral part of the healthcare system. PAs provide many of the same services as physicians. Their scope of practice, dependent on state regulations, includes the ability to diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, and prescribe medication, according to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). They can practice in every medical setting and specialty, making them indispensable for providing quality healthcare to patients.
Physician Assistant Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of physician assistants is projected to grow by 31% from 2019 to 2029, due to an increased demand for healthcare services because of the growing and aging populations.
What are the requirements for a PA?
Physician assistants are educated at a master’s degree level; most PA programs take three academic years (27 months) and require more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. PAs must then take a certification exam and then obtain a license in the state where they plan to practice. Once certified and licensed, PAs need to complete 100 hours of continuing medical education credits every two years and take a recertification exam every 10 years.
What Can a Physician Assistant (PA) Do?
What can a PA do? While many issues pertaining to a PA’s scope of practice are regulated on a state level, the following responsibilities are generally true of physician assistant practice.
Can a Physician Assistant Conduct Physical Exams?
Yes, PAs can perform physical exams. In fact, primary care is the most common specialty for PAs because of the increasingly high number of patients in today’s healthcare environment. This stems back to the creation of the PA profession, which originated from a lack of patient access due to a physician shortage. Currently, roughly 8% of all primary care physicians are PAs.
Can a PA Diagnose and Treat Illnesses?
Yes! PAs can diagnose and treat illnesses, an essential component of patient care. While the PA scope of practice is still a subject of debate between physicians and PAs, studies show that PAs are just as effective as physicians at diagnosing and treating illness.
Can a PA Prescribe Medication?
Yes, PAs can write prescriptions and prescribe medications in all 50 states. A physician assistant can prescribe all non-controlled medication, and they may schedule II-V controlled medications like oxycodone, fentanyl, and hydromorphone. PAs can also write prescriptions for physical therapy.
Can PAs Assist in Surgery?
Yes, PAs are often the first assistants in surgery. Surgical PAs can independently perform certain procedures, such as cutting and draining abscesses, vein harvesting, and working as a part of a surgeon/anesthesiologist/nursing team. Surgical PAs are also the highest-paying PA specialty.
Can PAs Sign Death Certificates?
Yes, physician assistants can sign death certificates and initiate the death certificate process, but not in every state. The ability of a PA to sign a death certificate is regulated on the state level. In the majority of states, PAs can sign death certificates, but in certain states, such as Texas, PAs cannot sign death certificates. Generally, NPs have more authority on a state level to sign death certificates than PAs, because some states, like Texas, specify that only APRNs or physicians can sign death certificates.
For many states, the ability of a PA to sign a death certificate has been introduced within the last decade.
What Can a Doctor Do That a PA Cannot?
Physician Assistants can perform most of the same components of practice that physicians can do. This is so true in fact, that the term midlevel creep has gained popularity in recent years to describe the perceived phenomena of physician assistants encroaching on the jobs formerly dominated by doctors and physicians. Although the concept is condemned by physician assistant advocacy groups, it does suggest the increased role and responsibilities of PAs in the modern medical landscape.
The biggest difference between physicians and PAs regarding scope of practice, is that doctors can practice independently, while physician assistants cannot. Generally, all states require that physician assistants require supervision from a physician to some degree. That said, 3 states — North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — have recently eliminated the legal requirement for a specific relationship between a PA and a physician or any other healthcare provider.
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