The Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2378 in 2020, bringing many changes to physician assistant (PA) practice in Washington. Most provisions of the bill took effect July 1, 2021. To better understand the details of SHB 2378, and what it means for your daily practice, we are providing an overview of some of the changes brought about by this legislation.
One of the biggest changes is that a PA will no longer be required to have a delegation agreement or a remote site request approved by the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) or the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery (board). PAs will now practice under a practice agreement between the PA and the physician. The practice agreement must be maintained by the PA’s employer and made available to WMC upon request.
There will no longer be osteopathic physician assistants and allopathic physician assistants. All PAs will be licensed under and regulated by the WMC, regardless of whether the supervising physician is a DO or MD.
The new law allows for a DO or MD to supervise up to 10 PAs, with the ability to petition WMC if there is a need to supervise more than 10 PAs. However, a DO or MD must be able to adequately supervise all the PAs with which they have agreements. Additionally, a physician may not be compelled by an employer to participate in a practice agreement with a PA.
The WMC is required under this law to consult with the board when investigating allegations of unprofessional conduct against a PA who is supervised by a DO.
If you have additional questions regarding this new law and how it may affect you, or those you supervise, please contact the board at osteopathic@doh.wa.gov.