49 Pa. Code § 18.122
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
ARC-PA—The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for Physician Assistants.
Administration—The direct application of a drug, whole blood, blood components, diagnostic procedure or device, whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion, skin application or other means, into the body of a patient.
CAAHEP—The Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs.
CAHEA—The Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation.
Device—An instrument or tool necessary in the administration of medication or medical care.
Dispense—To deliver a drug or device to or for an ultimate user for limited or continuing use.
Drug—A term used to describe a medication, device or agent which a physician assistant prescribes or dispenses under § 18.158 (relating to prescribing and dispensing drugs, pharmaceutical aids and devices).
Emergency medical care setting—
(ii) The term does not include a setting which provides general or specialized medical services that are not routinely emergency in nature even though that setting provides emergency medical care from time to time.
Health care facility—As defined in section 103 of the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P.S. § 448.103).
Medical regimen—A therapeutic, corrective or diagnostic measure performed or ordered by a physician, or performed or ordered by a physician assistant acting within the physician assistant’s scope of practice, and in accordance with the written agreement between the supervising physician and the physician assistant.
Medical service—An activity which lies within the scope of practice of medicine and surgery.
NCCPA—The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the organization recognized by the Board to certify and recertify physician assistants by requiring continuing education and examination.
Order—An oral or written directive for a therapeutic, corrective or diagnostic measure, including a drug to be dispensed for onsite administration.
Physician—A medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine.
Physician assistant—An individual who is licensed as a physician assistant by the Board.
Physician assistant examination—An examination to test whether an individual has accumulated sufficient academic knowledge to qualify for licensure as a physician assistant. The Board recognizes the certifying examination of the NCCPA.
Physician assistant program—A program for the training and education of physician assistants which is recognized by the Board or accredited by the CAHEA, the CAAHEP, ARC-PA or a successor agency.
Prescription—
(ii) The term does not include an order for a drug which is dispensed for immediate administration to the ultimate user; for example, an order to dispense a drug to a patient for immediate administration in an office or health care facility is not a prescription.
Primary supervising physician—A medical doctor who is registered with the Board and designated in the written agreement as having primary responsibility for supervising the physician assistant.
Scope of practice—The medical services within a physician assistant’s skills, training and experience that a physician assistant may perform as set forth in the written agreement.
Substitute supervising physician—A medical doctor who is designated in the written agreement on file with the Board, or maintained at the practice location, as assuming primary responsibility for a physician assistant when the primary supervising physician is unable to supervise.
Supervising physician—The primary supervising physician and each substitute supervising physician who supervises a physician assistant, who is either identified in a written agreement on file with the Board or maintained at the practice location where the physician assistant practices.
Supervision—
(ii) An appropriate degree of supervision includes:
(C) Review by the supervising physician of the patient records upon which entries are made by the physician assistant in accordance with § 18.142(5) (relating to written agreements).
Unable to supervise—When the primary supervising physician cannot supervise the physician assistant due to temporary absence, the primary supervising physician is working at another location or the physician assistant is providing services for a substitute supervising physician who is either named in the written agreement on file with the Board or maintained at the practice location.
Written agreement—The agreement between the physician assistant and primary supervising physician, which satisfies the requirements of § 18.142.
The provisions of this § 18.122 amended under sections 8, 8.1, 13, 13.1(c) and 36 of the Medical Practice Act of 1985 (63 P.S. § § 422.8, 422.8a, 422.13, 422.13a(c) and 422.36); and sections 502 and 503 of the Vital Statistics Law of 1953 (35 P.S. § § 450.502 and 450.503).
The provisions of this § 18.122 amended August 13, 1993, effective August 14, 1993, 23 Pa.B. 3780; amended November 17, 2006, effective November 18, 2006, 36 Pa.B. 7009; amended January 31, 2014, effective February 1, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 583; amended July 3, 2025, effective July 5, 2025, 55 Pa.B. 4534. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (396322) and (404041) to (404042).
This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 33.205b (relating to practice as a public health dental hygiene practitioner).