Florida Senate - 2018                                     SB 708
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00548A-18                                           2018708__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to performance of physician assistants
    3         and advanced registered nurse practitioners; amending
    4         ss. 458.347 and 459.022, F.S.; authorizing a physician
    5         assistant to sign, certify, stamp, verify, or endorse
    6         a document that requires the signature, certification,
    7         stamp, verification, or endorsement of a physician;
    8         providing an exception; amending s. 464.012, F.S.;
    9         authorizing an advanced registered nurse practitioner
   10         to sign, certify, stamp, verify, or endorse a document
   11         that requires the signature, certification, stamp,
   12         verification, or endorsement of a physician within the
   13         framework of an established protocol and under
   14         supervision; providing an exception; providing an
   15         effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Paragraph (i) is added to subsection (4) of
   20  section 458.347, Florida Statutes, to read:
   21         458.347 Physician assistants.—
   22         (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
   23         (i) A supervisory physician may delegate to a licensed
   24  physician assistant the authority to sign, certify, stamp,
   25  verify, or endorse a document that requires the signature,
   26  certification, stamp, verification, or endorsement of a
   27  physician, except that the supervisory physician may not
   28  delegate the authority to issue a written approval to release a
   29  patient from a receiving facility or its contractor under s.
   30  394.463(2)(f).
   31         Section 2. Paragraph (h) is added to subsection (4) of
   32  section 459.022, Florida Statutes, to read:
   33         459.022 Physician assistants.—
   34         (4) PERFORMANCE OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—
   35         (h) A supervisory physician may delegate to a licensed
   36  physician assistant the authority to sign, certify, stamp,
   37  verify, or endorse a document that requires the signature,
   38  certification, stamp, verification, or endorsement of a
   39  physician, except that the supervisory physician may not
   40  delegate the authority to issue a written approval to release a
   41  patient from a receiving facility or its contractor under s.
   42  394.463(2)(f).
   43         Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 464.012, Florida
   44  Statutes, is amended to read:
   45         464.012 Certification of advanced registered nurse
   46  practitioners; fees; controlled substance prescribing.—
   47         (3) An advanced registered nurse practitioner shall perform
   48  those functions authorized in this section within the framework
   49  of an established protocol which must be maintained on site at
   50  the location or locations at which an advanced registered nurse
   51  practitioner practices. In the case of multiple supervising
   52  physicians in the same group, an advanced registered nurse
   53  practitioner must enter into a supervisory protocol with at
   54  least one physician within the physician group practice. A
   55  practitioner currently licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459,
   56  or chapter 466 shall maintain supervision for directing the
   57  specific course of medical treatment. Within the established
   58  framework, an advanced registered nurse practitioner may:
   59         (a) Prescribe, dispense, administer, or order any drug;
   60  however, an advanced registered nurse practitioner may prescribe
   61  or dispense a controlled substance as defined in s. 893.03 only
   62  if the advanced registered nurse practitioner has graduated from
   63  a program leading to a master’s or doctoral degree in a clinical
   64  nursing specialty area with training in specialized practitioner
   65  skills.
   66         (b) Initiate appropriate therapies for certain conditions.
   67         (c) Perform additional functions as may be determined by
   68  rule in accordance with s. 464.003(2).
   69         (d) Order diagnostic tests and physical and occupational
   70  therapy.
   71         (e) Order any medication for administration to a patient in
   72  a facility licensed under chapter 395 or part II of chapter 400,
   73  notwithstanding any provisions in chapter 465 or chapter 893.
   74         (f) Sign, certify, stamp, verify, or endorse a document
   75  that requires the signature, certification, stamp, verification,
   76  or endorsement of a physician, except that the supervisory
   77  physician may not delegate the authority to issue a written
   78  approval to release a patient from a receiving facility or its
   79  contractor under s. 394.463(2)(f).
   80         Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.