Subdivision 1. Delegation. (a) A supervising physician may delegate to a physician assistant who is licensed by the board, certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or successor agency approved by the board, and who is under the supervising physician's supervision, the authority to prescribe, dispense, and administer legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices subject to the requirements in this section. The authority to dispense includes, but is not limited to, the authority to request, receive, and dispense sample drugs. This authority to dispense extends only to those drugs described in the written agreement developed under paragraph (b).

(b) The delegation agreement between the physician assistant and supervising physician must include a statement by the supervising physician regarding delegation or nondelegation of the functions of prescribing, dispensing, and administering legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices to the physician assistant. The statement must include categories of drugs for which the supervising physician delegates prescriptive and dispensing authority, including controlled substances when applicable. The delegation must be appropriate to the physician assistant's practice and within the scope of the physician assistant's training. Physician assistants who have been delegated the authority to prescribe, dispense, and administer legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices shall provide evidence of current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or its successor agency when applying for licensure or license renewal as physician assistants. Physician assistants who have been delegated the authority to prescribe controlled substances must also hold a valid DEA registration. Supervising physicians shall retrospectively review the prescribing, dispensing, and administering of legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices by physician assistants, when this authority has been delegated to the physician assistant as part of the physician-physician assistant delegation agreement. The process and schedule for the review must be outlined in the physician-physician assistant delegation agreement.

(c) The board may establish by rule:

(1) a system of identifying physician assistants eligible to prescribe, administer, and dispense legend drugs and medical devices;

(2) a system of identifying physician assistants eligible to prescribe, administer, and dispense controlled substances;

(3) a method of determining the categories of legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices that each physician assistant is allowed to prescribe, administer, and dispense; and

(4) a system of transmitting to pharmacies a listing of physician assistants eligible to prescribe legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices.

Subd. 2. Termination and reinstatement of prescribing authority. The authority of a physician assistant to prescribe, dispense, and administer legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices shall end immediately when:

(1) the physician-physician assistant delegation agreement is terminated;

(2) the authority to prescribe, dispense, and administer is terminated or withdrawn by the supervising physician;

(3) the physician assistant's license is placed on inactive status;

(4) the physician assistant loses National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or successor agency certification; or

(5) the physician assistant loses or terminates licensure status.

Subd. 3. Other requirements and restrictions. (a) Each prescription initiated by a physician assistant shall indicate the following:

(1) the date of issue;

(2) the name and address of the patient;

(3) the name and quantity of the drug prescribed;

(4) directions for use; and

(5) the name and address of the prescribing physician assistant.

(b) In prescribing, dispensing, and administering legend drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices, a physician assistant must conform with the agreement, chapter 151, and this chapter.

Subd. 4. [Repealed by amendment, 2009 c 159 s 26]

Subd. 5. [Repealed by amendment, 2009 c 159 s 26]

History: 1995 c 205 art 1 s 17; 2001 c 49 s 1; 2005 c 147 art 6 s 1,2; 2009 c 159 s 26