Maryland Health Occupations Section 15-301

      (a)      Nothing in this title may be construed to authorize a physician assistant to practice independent of a supervising physician.

      (b)      A certificate issued to a physician assistant shall limit the physician assistant's scope of practice to medical acts:

            (1)      Delegated by the supervising physician;

            (2)      Appropriate to the education, training, and experience of the physician assistant;

            (3)      Customary to the practice of the supervising physician; and

            (4)      Consistent with the delegation agreement submitted to the Board.

      (c)      Patient services that may be provided by a physician assistant include:

            (1)      (i)      Taking complete, detailed, and accurate patient histories; and

                  (ii)      Reviewing patient records to develop comprehensive medical status reports;

            (2)      Performing physical examinations and recording all pertinent patient data;

            (3)      Interpreting and evaluating patient data as authorized by the supervising physician for the purpose of determining management and treatment of patients;

            (4)      Initiating requests for or performing diagnostic procedures as indicated by pertinent data and as authorized by the supervising physician;

            (5)      Providing instructions and guidance regarding medical care matters to patients;

            (6)      Assisting the supervising physician in the delivery of services to patients who require medical care in the home and in health care institutions, including:

                  (i)      Recording patient progress notes;

                  (ii)      Issuing diagnostic orders that must be countersigned by the supervising physician within a period reasonable and appropriate to the practice setting and consistent with current standards of acceptable medical practice; and

                  (iii)      Transcribing or executing specific orders at the direction of the supervising physician; and

            (7)      Exercising prescriptive authority under an approved delegation agreement and in accordance with § 15-302.2 of this subtitle.

      (d)      (1)      Except as otherwise provided in this title, an individual shall be certified by the Board before the individual may practice as a physician assistant.

            (2)      Except as otherwise provided in this title, a physician may not supervise a physician assistant in the performance of delegated medical acts without the approval of the Board.

            (3)      Except as otherwise provided in this title or in a medical emergency, a physician assistant may not perform any medical act for which:

                  (i)      The individual has not been certified; and

                  (ii)      The medical acts have not been delegated by a supervising physician.

      (e)      A physician assistant is the agent of the supervising physician in the performance of all practice-related activities, including the oral, written, or electronic ordering of diagnostic, therapeutic, and other medical services.

      (f)      Except as provided in subsection (g) of this section, the following individuals may practice as a physician assistant without a certificate:

            (1)      A physician assistant student in a physician assistant training program that is accredited by the Commission on Allied Health Education Programs and approved by the Board; or

            (2)      A physician assistant employed in the service of the federal government while performing duties incident to that employment.

      (g)      A physician may not delegate the authority to write medication orders or the ability to exercise prescriptive authority to a physician assistant student in a training program approved by the Board.

      (h)      (1)      Except as prohibited by § 15-102(a) of this title, if a duty that is to be delegated under this section is a part of the practice of a health occupation that is regulated under this article by another board, any rule or regulation concerning that duty shall be adopted jointly by the Board of Physicians and the board that regulates the other health occupation.

            (2)      If the two boards cannot agree on a proposed rule or regulation, the proposal shall be submitted to the Secretary for a final decision.

      (i)      Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a patient being treated regularly for a life-threatening, chronic, degenerative, or disabling condition shall be seen initially by the supervising physician and as frequently as the patient's condition requires, but no less than within every five appointments or within 180 days, whichever occurs first.