2021 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 40 - Professions and Occupations
Chapter 47 - Physicians And Miscellaneous Health Care Professionals
Section 40-47-935. Acts and duties PAs authorized to perform; agency relationship to supervising physician.

(A) PAs may perform:

(1) medical acts, tasks, or functions within written scope of practice guidelines under physician supervision;

(2) those duties and responsibilities, including the prescribing and dispensing of drugs and medical devices, that are lawfully delegated by their supervising physicians; provided, however, only PAs holding a permanent license may prescribe drug therapy as provided in this article; and

(3) telemedicine in accordance with the requirements of Section 40-47-37 including, but not limited to, Section 40-47-37(C)(6) requiring board authorization prior to prescribing Schedule II and Schedule III prescriptions; Section 40-47-113, approved written scope of practice guidelines, and pursuant to all physician supervisory requirements imposed by this chapter.

(B) Notwithstanding any provisions of state law other than this chapter, and to the extent permitted by federal law, a PA may perform the following medical acts unless otherwise provided in the scope of practice guidelines:

(1) provide noncontrolled prescription drugs at an entity that provides free medical care for indigent patients;

(2) certify that a student is unable to attend school but may benefit from receiving instruction given in his home or hospital;

(3) refer a patient to physical therapy for treatment;

(4) pronounce death, certify the manner and cause of death, and sign death certificates pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 63, Title 44 and Chapter 8, Title 32;

(5) issue an order for a patient to receive appropriate services from a licensed hospice as defined in Chapter 71, Title 44;

(6) certify that an individual is handicapped and declare that the handicap is temporary or permanent for the purposes of the individual's application for a placard;

(7) execute a do not resuscitate order pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 78, Title 44; and

(8) issue an order for home health services pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 69, Title 44.

(C)(1) If provided in the scope of practice guidelines, a PA may delegate the following tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel to be performed under the PA's supervision:

(a) meeting patients' needs for personal hygiene;

(b) meeting patients' needs relating to nutrition;

(c) meeting patients' needs relating to ambulation;

(d) meeting patients' needs relating to elimination;

(e) taking vital signs;

(f) maintaining asepsis; and

(g) observing, recording, and reporting any of the tasks enumerated in this subsection.

(2) A PA may not delegate the administration of medication to unlicensed assistive personnel.

(D) A PA is an agent of his supervising physician in the performance of all practice-related activities, including, but not limited to, the ordering of diagnostic, therapeutic, and other medical services.

(E) A PA may sign specified documents on behalf of the supervising physician or alternate supervising physician if authorized in the scope of practice guidelines.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 359, Section 1; 2006 Act No. 244, Section 2; 2018 Act No. 234 (S.345), Section 7, eff July 1, 2018; 2019 Act No. 32 (S.132), Section 2, eff August 11, 2019; 2021 Act No. 55 (S.503), Section 2, eff July 16, 2021.

Effect of Amendment

2018 Act No. 234, Section 7, inserted the (A) and (B) designators; in (A), inserted (3), including telemedicine as a task physician assistants are authorized to perform; and made nonsubstantive changes.

2019 Act No. 32, Section 2, in (A), substituted "PAs" for "physician assistants" in two places, and made nonsubstantive changes; inserted (B) and (C), and redesignated (B) as (D); in (D), substituted "A PA" for "A physician assistant", deleted "or her" following "of his", and made nonsubstantive changes; and added (E).

2021 Act No. 55, Section 2, in (B), added (8), and made nonsubstantive changes.