Bill > SB99

This bill amends Arkansas state law to expand the delegation authority of physician assistants (PAs), allowing them to delegate certain medical tasks under specific conditions established by the Arkansas State Medical Board. The bill modifies existing regulations to permit PAs, in addition to physicians, to delegate medical practices to qualified employees who are not licensed healthcare providers. Key provisions include maintaining professional responsibility for delegated tasks, ensuring that delegated employees are not represented as licensed healthcare providers, and performing delegated practices under supervision. The bill specifically allows delegation of tasks such as administering certain drugs, with restrictions including performing such tasks only within the physician or PA's office, evaluating patient acuity, and meeting specific training requirements. Importantly, the bill maintains prohibitions on delegating anesthesia administration and transferring ultimate supervisory responsibility. The changes aim to provide more flexibility for healthcare providers while preserving patient safety standards by requiring the Arkansas State Medical Board to establish clear rules and oversight for task delegation.