2015 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 37 - Professions and Occupations
RS 37:1360.31 - Services performed by physician assistants

§1360.31. Services performed by physician assistants

            A.(1) A physician assistant performs medical services when such services are rendered under the supervision of a supervising physician. A physician assistant may perform those duties and responsibilities that are delegated to him by his supervising physician. A physician assistant is considered to be and is deemed the agent of his supervising physician in the performance of all practice-related activities, including but not limited to assisting in surgery and the ordering and interpretation of diagnostic and other medical services. The level and method of supervision shall be at the physician and physician assistant level, shall be documented and reviewed annually, and shall reflect the acuity of the patient care and the nature of a procedure. A physician assistant shall not practice without supervision except in life-threatening emergencies and in emergency situations such as man-made and natural disaster relief efforts.

            (2) A physician assistant may inject local anesthetic agents subcutaneously, including digital blocks or apply topical anesthetic agents when delegated to do so by a supervising physician. However, nothing in this Part shall otherwise permit a physician assistant to administer local anesthetics perineurally, pericurally, epidurally, intrathecally, or intravenously unless such physician assistant is a certified registered nurse anesthetist and meets the requirements in R.S. 37:930.

            B. The practice of a physician assistant shall include the performance of medical services within the scope of his education, training, and experience, which are delegated by the supervising physician.

             C.(1) A physician assistant may prescribe, order, and administer drugs to the extent delegated by the supervising physician except as provided pursuant to R.S. 37:930 relative to anesthetics. Drugs which may be prescribed, ordered, and administered by a physician assistant or a health care professional licensed pursuant to Chapter 12 of this Title are those listed in Schedules II, III, IV, and V of R.S. 40:964 and legend drugs, which are defined as any drug or drug product bearing on the label of the manufacturer or distributor, as required by the Food and Drug Administration, the statement "Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing without a prescription". A physician assistant authorized to prescribe controlled substances shall register with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

            (2) A graduate physician assistant shall have at least five hundred clinical hours of training prior to application for prescriptive authority.

            (3) A physician assistant may request, receive, and sign for sample drugs and may distribute sample drugs to a patient.

             D. The activities listed above may be performed in any setting authorized by the supervising physician including but not limited to clinics, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, patient homes, nursing homes, other institutional settings, and health manpower shortage areas.

            Acts 1993, No. 662, §1, eff. June 16, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 879, §1; Acts 1997, No. 316, §1; Acts 2004, No. 10, §1; Acts 2015, No. 453, §1, eff. July 1, 2015.