32-2504. Powers and duties; delegation of authority; rules; subcommittees; immunity

A. The board shall:

1. As its primary duty, protect the public from unlawful, incompetent, unqualified, impaired or unprofessional physician assistants.

2. License and regulate physician assistants pursuant to this chapter.

3. Order and evaluate physical, psychological, psychiatric and competency testing of licensees and applicants the board determines is necessary to enforce this chapter.

4. Review the credentials and the abilities of applicants for licensure whose professional records or physical or mental capabilities may not meet the requirements of this chapter.

5. Initiate investigations and determine on its own motion whether a licensee has engaged in unprofessional conduct or is or may be incompetent or mentally or physically unable to safely perform health care tasks.

6. Establish fees and penalties pursuant to section 32-2526.

7. Develop and recommend standards governing the profession.

8. Engage in the full exchange of information with the licensing and disciplinary boards and professional associations of other states and jurisdictions of the United States and foreign countries and a statewide association for physician assistants.

9. Direct the preparation and circulation of educational material the board determines is helpful and proper for its licensees.

10. Discipline and rehabilitate physician assistants pursuant to this chapter.

11. Certify physician assistants for thirty-day prescription privileges for schedule II, schedule III, schedule IV and schedule V controlled substances that are opioids or benzodiazepine and ninety-day prescription privileges for schedule II, schedule III, schedule IV and schedule V controlled substances that are not opioids or benzodiazepine if the physician assistant either:

(a) Within the preceding three years of application, completed forty-five hours in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy or at the time of application is certified by a national commission on the certification of physician assistants or its successor.

(b) Met any other requirement established by board rule.

B. The board may delegate to the executive director the board's authority pursuant to this section or section 32-2551. The board shall adopt a substantive policy statement pursuant to section 41-1091 for each specific licensing and regulatory authority the board delegates to the executive director.

C. The board may make and adopt rules necessary or proper for the administration of this chapter.

D. The chairperson may establish subcommittees consisting of board members and define their duties as the chairperson deems necessary to carry out the functions of the board.

E. Board employees, including the executive director, temporary personnel and professional medical investigators, are immune from civil liability for good faith actions they take to enforce this chapter.

F. In performing its duties pursuant to subsection A of this section, the board may receive and review staff reports on complaints, malpractice cases and all investigations.

G. The chairperson and vice chairperson of the Arizona regulatory board of physician assistants are members of the committee on executive director selection and retention established by section 32-1403, subsection G, which is responsible for the appointment of the executive director pursuant to section 32-1405.