2015 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 40 - Professions and Occupations
CHAPTER 47 - PHYSICIANS AND MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Section 40-47-965. Requirements for writing prescriptions for drugs, controlled substances, and medical devices.

(A) If the written scope of practice guidelines authorizes the physician's assistant to prescribe drug therapy:

(1) prescriptions for authorized drugs and devices shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws;

(2) prescriptions must be limited to drugs and devices authorized by the supervising physician and set forth in the written scope of practice guidelines;

(3) prescriptions must be signed by the physician assistant and must bear the physician assistant's identification number as assigned by the board and all prescribing numbers required by law. The preprinted prescription form shall include both the physician assistant's and physician's name, address, and phone number and shall comply with the provisions of Section 39-24-40;

(4) drugs or devices prescribed must be specifically documented in the patient record;

(5) the physician assistant may request, receive, and sign for professional samples of drugs authorized in the written scope of practice guidelines and may distribute professional samples to patients in compliance with appropriate federal and state regulations and the written scope of practice guidelines;

(6) the physician assistant may authorize prescriptions for an orally administered Schedule II controlled substance, as defined in the federal Controlled Substances Act, pursuant to the following requirements:

(a) the authorization to prescribe is expressly approved by the supervising physician as set forth in the physician assistant's written scope of practice guidelines;

(b) the physician assistant has directly evaluated the patient;

(c) the authority to prescribe is limited to an initial prescription and must not exceed a seventy-two hour supply;

(d) any subsequent prescription authorization must be in consultation with and upon patient examination and evaluation by the supervising physician, and must be documented in the patient's chart; and

(e) any prescription for continuing drug therapy must include consultation with the supervising physician and must be documented in the patient's chart;

(7) the physician assistant may authorize a medical order for parenteral administration of a Schedule II controlled substance, as defined in the federal Controlled Substances Act, pursuant to the following requirements:

(a) the authorization to write a medical order is expressly approved by the supervising physician as set forth in the physician assistant's written scope of practice guidelines;

(b) the physician assistant is providing patient care in a hospital setting, including emergency and outpatient departments affiliated with the hospital;

(c) an initial patient examination and evaluation has been performed by the supervising physician, or his delegate physician, and has been documented in the patient's chart; however, in a hospital emergency department, a physician assistant may authorize such a medical order if the supervising or delegate physician is unavailable due to clinical demands, but remains on the premises and is immediately available, and the supervising or delegate physician conducts the patient evaluation as soon as practicable and is documented in the patient's chart;

(d) the physician assistant has directly evaluated the patient; and

(e) the written medical order may not exceed a one-time administration within a twenty-four hour period.

(B) When applying for controlled substance prescriptive authority, the applicant shall comply with the following requirements:

(1) the physician assistant shall provide evidence of completion of sixty contact hours of education in pharmacotherapeutics acceptable to the board before application;

(2) the physician assistant shall provide at least fifteen contact hours of education in controlled substances acceptable to the board;

(3) every two years, the physician assistant shall provide documentation of four continuing education contact hours in prescribing controlled substances acceptable to the board;

(4) the physician assistant must have a valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration and prescribe in accordance with DEA rules; and

(5) the physician assistant and supervising physician must read and sign a document approved by the board describing the management of expanded controlled substances prescriptive authority for physician assistants in South Carolina which must be kept on file for review. Within the two-year period, the physician assistant and the supervising physician periodically shall review this document and the physician assistant's prescribing practices to ensure proper prescribing procedures are followed. This review must be documented in writing with a copy kept at each practice site.

(C) A physician assistant's prescriptive authorization may be terminated by the board if the physician assistant:

(1) practices outside the written scope of practice guidelines;

(2) violates any state or federal law or regulation applicable to prescriptions; or

(3) violates a state or federal law applicable to physician assistants.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 359, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 244, Section 7; 2013 Act No. 28, Section 9, eff May 21, 2013.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment, in subsection (A)(5), deleted ", except for controlled substances in Schedule II," before "and may distribute professional samples"; added subsections (A)(6), (A)(7), and (B)(4); and redesignated former subsection (B)(4) as (B)(5).