In addition to the medical services authorized in the regulations adopted pursuant to Section 3502, and except as prohibited by Section 3502, a PA may furnish or order a drug or device subject to all of the following:
(a) The PA shall furnish or order a drug or device in accordance with the practice agreement and consistent with the PA’s educational preparation or for which clinical competency has been established and maintained.
(b) (1) A practice agreement authorizing a PA to order or furnish a drug or device shall specify which PA or PAs may furnish or order a drug or device, which drugs or devices may be furnished or ordered, under what circumstances, the extent of physician and surgeon supervision, the method of periodic review of the PA’s competence, including peer review, and review of the practice agreement.
(2) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (1), if the practice agreement authorizes the PA to furnish a Schedule II controlled substance, the practice agreement shall address the diagnosis of the illness, injury, or condition for which the PA may furnish the Schedule II controlled substance.
(c) The PA shall furnish or order drugs or devices under physician and surgeon supervision. This subdivision shall not be construed to require the physical presence of the physician and surgeon, but does require the following:
(1) Adherence to adequate supervision as agreed to in the practice agreement.
(2) The physician and surgeon be available by telephone or other electronic communication method at the time the PA examines the patient.
(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the PA may furnish or order only those Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances under the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code) that have been agreed upon in the practice agreement.
(2) The PA may furnish or order Schedule II or III controlled substances, as defined in Sections 11055 and 11056, respectively, of the Health and Safety Code, in accordance with the practice agreement or a patient-specific order approved by the treating or supervising physician and surgeon.
(e) (1) The PA has satisfactorily completed a course in pharmacology covering the drugs or devices to be furnished or ordered under this section or has completed a program for instruction of PAs that meet the requirements of Section 1399.530 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, as that provision read on June 7, 2019.
(2) A physician and surgeon through a practice agreement may determine the extent of supervision necessary pursuant to this section in the furnishing or ordering of drugs and devices.
(3) PAs who hold an active license, who are authorized through a practice agreement to furnish Schedule II controlled substances, and who are registered with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and who have not successfully completed a one-time course in compliance with Sections 1399.610 and 1399.612 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, as those provisions read on June 7, 2019, shall complete, as part of their continuing education requirements, a course that covers Schedule II controlled substances, and the risks of addiction associated with their use, based on the standards developed by the board. The board shall establish the requirements for satisfactory completion of this subdivision. Evidence of completion of a course meeting the standards, including pharmacological content, established in Sections 1399.610 and 1399.612 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations, as those provisions read on June 7, 2019, shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this section.
(f) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Furnishing” or “ordering” shall include the following:
(A) Ordering a drug or device in accordance with the practice agreement.
(B) Transmitting an order of a supervising physician and surgeon.
(C) Dispensing a medication pursuant to Section 4170.
(2) “Drug order” or “order” means an order for medication that is dispensed to or for an ultimate user, issued by a PA as an individual practitioner, within the meaning of Section 1306.02 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(g) Notwithstanding any other law, (1) a drug order issued pursuant to this section shall be treated in the same manner as a prescription of a supervising physician; (2) all references to “prescription” in this code and the Health and Safety Code shall include drug orders issued by physician assistants; and (3) the signature of a PA on a drug order issued in accordance with this section shall be deemed to be the signature of a prescriber for purposes of this code and the Health and Safety Code.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 707, Sec. 4. (SB 697) Effective January 1, 2020.)