(a)

(1) A physician assistant is authorized to perform selected medical services only in collaboration with a licensed physician.

(2) Collaboration requires active and continuous overview of the physician assistant's activities to ensure that the physician's directions and advice are in fact implemented, but does not require the continuous and constant physical presence of the collaborating physician. The board and the committee shall adopt, by September 19, 1999, regulations governing the collaborating physician's personal review of historical, physical and therapeutic data contained in the charts of patients examined by the physician assistant.

(3) The range of services that may be provided by a physician assistant shall be set forth in a written protocol, jointly developed by the collaborating physician and the physician assistant. The protocol shall also contain a discussion of the problems and conditions likely to be encountered by the physician assistant and the appropriate treatment for these problems and conditions. The physician assistant shall maintain the protocol at the physician assistant's practice location and shall make the protocol available upon request by the board of medical examiners, the committee on physician assistants or the authorized agents of the board or the committee.

(4) A physician assistant may perform only those tasks that are within the physician assistant's range of skills and competence, that are within the usual scope of practice of the collaborating physician and that are consistent with the protection of the health and well-being of the patients.

(5) The physician assistant may render emergency medical service in accordance with guidelines previously established by the collaborating physician pending the arrival of a responsible physician in cases where immediate diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid disability or death.

(b) A physician assistant shall, at all times, practice in collaboration with a licensed physician who has control of and responsibility for the services provided by the physician assistant and the duty of assuring that there is a proper collaboration with the physician and that the activities of the physician assistant are otherwise appropriate.

(c) Any rules that purport to regulate the collaboration of physician assistants with physicians shall be jointly adopted by the board of medical examiners and the committee on physician assistants.

(d) A physician assistant practicing in collaboration with a licensed podiatrist:

(1) Shall not provide services that are outside of the scope of practice of a podiatrist as set forth in § 63-3-101;

(2) Shall comply with the requirements of and any rules adopted pursuant to this section and § 63-19-107 governing the collaboration with a physician assistant; and

(3) May prescribe only drugs that are rational to the practice of podiatry.