TITLE 43 PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES

Section 34. Physicians, Acupuncture, Physician Assistants, Cancer and Glaucoma Treatment, Respiratory Care, Clinical Perfusionists, and Orthotics and Prosthetics Practice, 43-34-1 through 43-34-290.

ARTICLE 4 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

43-34-102. Definitions.

As used in this article, the term:

1. "Applicant" means an individual seeking licensure as a physician assistant pursuant to this article.
2. "Alternate supervising physician" means a physician to whom a board approved primary supervising physician has delegated the responsibility of supervising a physician assistant who is licensed to that primary supervising physician and who agrees to supervise the physician assistant for the primary supervising physician and who is on record with the board.
3. "Board" means the Georgia Composite Medical Board.
4. "Job description" means a document, signed by the primary supervising physician and the physician assistant, in which the primary supervising physician delegates to that physician assistant authority to perform certain medical acts and which describes the professional background and specialty of the primary supervising physician and the qualifications including related experience of the physician assistant; and includes a general description of how the physician assistant will be utilized in the practice. A job description shall not be required to contain every activity the physician deems the physician assistant qualified to perform but shall confine the activities of the physician assistant to those in the scope of practice of the primary supervising physician.
5. "Order" means to prescribe pursuant to a job description which drug, medical device, medical treatment, or diagnostic study is appropriate for a patient and to communicate the same in writing, orally, via facsimile, or electronically.
6. "Physician" means a person lawfully licensed in this state to practice medicine and surgery pursuant to Article 2 of this chapter.
7. "Physician assistant" means a skilled person who is licensed to a supervising physician and who is qualified by academic and practical training to provide patients' services not necessarily within the physical presence but under the personal direction or supervision of the supervising physician.
8. "Prescription drug order" means a written or oral order of a physician assistant for a drug or medical device for a specific patient. Such term includes an electronic visual image prescription drug order and an electronic data prescription drug order.
9. "Primary supervising physician" means the physician to whom the board licenses a physician assistant pursuant to a board approved job description and who has the primary responsibility for supervising the practice of a physician assistant pursuant to that physician assistant's job description.

(Ga. L. 1972, p. 676, § 3; Ga. L. 1995, p. 827, § 1; Ga. L. 2002, p. 1043, § 1; Ga. L. 2004, p. 581, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 1/HB 509.)