| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the delegation of certain medical acts by a physician to |
|
|
an advanced practice nurse or physician assistant. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 157.053(e), Occupations Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) A physician's authority to delegate the carrying out or |
|
|
signing of a prescription drug order is limited to: |
|
|
(1) six [three] physician assistants or advanced |
|
|
practice nurses or their full-time equivalents practicing at the |
|
|
physician's primary practice site or at an alternate practice site |
|
|
under Section 157.0541; and |
|
|
(2) the patients with whom the physician has |
|
|
established or will establish a physician-patient relationship. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Sections 157.0541(a), (c), and (e), Occupations |
|
|
Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) In this section, "alternate site" means a practice site: |
|
|
(1) where services similar to the services provided at |
|
|
the delegating physician's primary practice site are provided; and |
|
|
(2) located within 75 [60] miles of the delegating |
|
|
physician's primary practice site. |
|
|
(c) Physician supervision is adequate for the purposes of |
|
|
this section if the delegating physician: |
|
|
(1) [is on-site with the advanced practice nurse or
|
|
|
physician assistant at least 20 percent of the time;
|
|
|
[(2)] reviews at least 10 percent of the medical |
|
|
charts from [at] the site; and |
|
|
(2) [(3)] is available through direct |
|
|
telecommunication for consultation, patient referral, or |
|
|
assistance with a medical emergency. |
|
|
(e) The combined number of advanced practice nurses and |
|
|
physician assistants to whom a physician may delegate under this |
|
|
section and at a primary practice site under Section 157.053 may not |
|
|
exceed six [three] physician assistants or advanced practice nurses |
|
|
or the full-time equivalent of six [three] physician assistants or |
|
|
advanced practice nurses. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |