Bill > SB89

This bill makes several changes to the laws governing physician assistants (PAs) in Alaska, primarily to expand their scope of practice and clarify their roles. Key provisions include allowing PAs to practice independently in certain healthcare facilities, such as those directed by a physician or licensed by the Department of Health, or federally operated facilities, and enabling the State Medical Board to authorize PAs to practice without a collaborative agreement in other specific situations. The bill also updates the qualifications for PA applicants, clarifies that PAs are responsible for their own patient care, and allows them to prescribe controlled substances and certain drugs. Furthermore, it amends various statutes to include physician assistants alongside physicians and osteopaths in contexts such as reporting requirements for impaired practitioners, immunity from civil liability for good-faith reporting, and exceptions to licensing requirements for out-of-state PAs providing services to athletic teams. Finally, the bill clarifies that the term "practitioner" in controlled substance laws includes physician assistants and updates the definition of "practice of medicine" to include the use of the title "physician assistant" or "P.A."