Relating to a physician's delegation of prescriptive authority to physician assistants or advanced practice nurses.
The bill is designed to streamline the prescribing process while ensuring patient safety through required physician oversight. By allowing physicians to delegate authority more effectively, it aims to increase the number of practitioners with prescribing capabilities, which could improve care delivery, especially in underserved areas. The amendments also include provisions for voluntary charity care by physician assistants and advanced practice nurses in nonprofit clinics, facilitating access to care without the burden of remuneration.
House Bill 800 proposes amendments to the Occupations Code regarding a physician's ability to delegate prescriptive authority to physician assistants and advanced practice nurses. The bill aims to enhance the delegation process, allowing for expanded access to healthcare by enabling these practitioners to carry out or sign prescription drug orders for controlled substances under specific conditions. Among the changes, the bill increases the maximum time for prescriptions and enhances the oversight mechanisms, mandating that physician consultations are documented in the patient's chart.
While the bill seeks to improve healthcare access, it has faced scrutiny regarding the balance between delegating authority and maintaining patient safety. Some stakeholders may express concerns that expanded delegation could lead to insufficient supervision of prescription practices, potentially compromising patient care. The requirement for physicians to be on-site a certain percentage of the time and review a subset of charts aims to mitigate these concerns, yet debates may arise over whether these measures are adequate to ensure ongoing patient safety in delegated care scenarios.