2017 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 40 - Professions and Occupations
CHAPTER 47 - PHYSICIANS AND MISCELLANEOUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
Section 40-47-910. Definitions.

As used in this article:

(1) "Alternate physician supervisor" or "alternate supervising physician" means a South Carolina licensed physician currently possessing an active, unrestricted permanent license to practice medicine in South Carolina who accepts the responsibility to supervise a physician assistant's activities in the absence of the supervising physician and this physician is approved by the physician supervisor in writing in the scope of practice guidelines.

(2) "Board" means the Board of Medical Examiners of South Carolina.

(3) "Committee" means the Physician Assistant Committee as established by this article as an advisory committee responsible to the board.

(4) "Immediate consultation" means a supervising physician must be available for direct communication by telephone or other means of telecommunication.

(5) "NCCPA" means the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc., the agency recognized to examine and evaluate the education of physician assistants, or its successor organization as recognized by the board.

(6) "Physician assistant" means a health care professional licensed to assist in the practice of medicine with a physician supervisor.

(7) "Physician supervisor" or "supervising physician" means a South Carolina licensed physician currently possessing an active, unrestricted permanent license to practice medicine in South Carolina who is approved to serve as a supervising physician for no more than three full-time equivalent physician assistants. The physician supervisor is the individual who is responsible for supervising a physician assistant's activities.

(8) "Supervising" means overseeing the activities of, and accepting responsibility for, the medical services rendered by a physician assistant as part of a physician-led team in a manner approved by the board.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 359, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 244, Section 1; 2013 Act No. 28, Section 2, eff May 21, 2013.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment added subsection (4), the definition of "Immediate consultation"; redesignated former subsections (4) through (7) as (5) through (8); in subsection (7), substituted "three full-time equivalent physician assistants" for "two physician assistants"; and in subsection (8), inserted "as part of a physician-led team".