During the 2016 Legislative Session, House Bill 375 was passed and became law on March 28, 2016, as Chapter 2016-125, Laws of Florida. The bill relates to physician assistant (PA) applicants and licensees practicing with allopathic and osteopathic physicians, and includes the following changes to the law:
- At renewal, a PA must acknowledge that he/she has completed a minimum of ten (10) hours of continuing medical education in the specialty practice in which the PA has prescriptive privileges. A signed affidavit is no longer required.
- A PA may perform services delegated by the supervising physician in the PA’s practice in accordance with his/her education and training unless expressly prohibited under Chapter 458, Florida Statutes, or the rules adopted by the Board of Medicine, or Chapter 459, Florida Statutes, or the rules adopted by the Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
- Prescriptions may be written in paper or electronic form but must comply with sections 456.0392(1) and 456.42(1), Florida Statutes.
- Changes to requirements for licensure:
- No longer need two letters of recommendation
- No longer required to submit a sworn, notarized statement regarding criminal history
- Deletes obsolete provisions related to administering a licensure examination for certain foreign-trained PA applicants
For more information, contact the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine at 850-245-4161 or visit www.floridasosteopathicmedicine.gov.