Physician assistants (PAs) collaborating with DOs can now prescribe medication.
The state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved the long-awaited regulations from the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine on Thursday, June 11, 2009. They became effective when they were published as final in the Aug. 8, 2009, Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Use this form from the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to add prescriptive privileges to an existing collaborative agreement.
The state Board of Medicine has allowed PAs collaborating with MDs to prescribe since 1993. The osteopathic board’s requirements are similar to medical board’s—with one major difference for Schedule II drugs.
PAs collaborating with DOs will only be able to prescribe a 72-hour emergency supply of Schedule II drugs. The patient will then need to be examined by the collaborating physician, who will need to approve a 30-day prescription. PAs collaborating with MDs may prescribe Schedule II drugs for 30 days, as outlined in their collaborative agreement with the physician.