How many Physician Assistants (PAs) can a Physician Supervise in Florida?
According to Florida Statute 458.347:
FIRST EVALUATE THE SITUATION OF THE SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN - Each physician or group of physicians supervising a licensed physician assistant must be qualified in the medical areas in which the physician assistant is to perform.
SECOND KNOW THAT THE SUPERVISING PHYSICIAN IS LIABILE - A Supervising Physician shall be individually or collectively responsible and liable for the performance and the acts and omissions of the physician assistant.
THIRD SUPERVISION IS LIMITED TO 10 PAs - A physician may not supervise more than 10 currently licensed physician assistants at any one time. A physician supervising a physician assistant pursuant to this section may not be required to review and cosign charts or medical records prepared by such physician assistant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: that this statute does not prevent third-party payors from reimbursing employers of physician assistants for covered services rendered by licensed physician assistants. Also, licensed physician assistants may not be denied clinical hospital privileges, except for cause, so long as the supervising physician is a staff member in good standing. A supervising physician may delegate to a fully licensed physician assistant the authority to prescribe or dispense any medication used in the supervising physician's practice unless such medication is listed on the formulary as limited by the Board of Medicine. The Florida Administrative Code rule for the formulary is as follows:
64B8-30.008 Formulary.
(1) Subject to the requirements of this rule, Sections 456.44, 458.347, 458.3265, 459.022 and 459.0137, F.S., and the rules enacted thereunder, a supervising physician may delegate to a physician assistant with prescribing authority the ability to procure, prescribe, or dispense only those medicinal drugs as are used in the supervising physician's practice, except those listed in subsection (2).
(2) Physician assistants prescribing, dispensing or procuring medicinal drugs under the provisions of Section 458.347(4)(e) or 459.022(4)(e), F.S., are not authorized to prescribe, dispense or procure the following medicinal drugs, in pure form or combination:
(a) General, spinal or epidural anesthetics.
(b) Radiographic contrast materials.
(3) Controlled Substances. Physician assistants may prescribe controlled substances, as defined in Chapter 893, F.S., with the following restrictions:
(a) Physician assistants may only prescribe a 14-day supply of Schedule II psychiatric mental health controlled substances for children younger than 18 years of age provided the physician assistant is under the supervision of a pediatrician, a family practice physician, an internal medicine physician, or a psychiatrist.
(b) Physician assistants may only prescribe a 7-day supply of all other Schedule II controlled substances as listed in Section 893.03, F.S.
(4) Nothing herein prohibits a supervising physician from delegating to a physician assistant the authority to order medicinal drugs for a hospitalized patient of the supervising physician, nor does anything herein prohibit a supervising physician from delegating to a physician assistant the administration of a medicinal drug under the direction and supervision of the physician.
