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A physician assistant's responsibilities rely on how he was trained, his overall experience and the laws of the state in which he practices. A physician assistant assists his physician. So, it could be said that the physician assistant works with the simple processes and the physician tackles the more serious cases. However, the PA practice is growing rapidly. Many doctors allow their PAs to treat patients independently. Also, the individual states are assigning more job duties to physician assistants. Physician assistants that specialize in certain surgeries can do certain procedures by themselves. As the physician assistant learns more skills, his physician will depend on them more and more. It gets to the point where it is a thin line between what a physician assistant can and cannot do. So, how do you know what is okay for a physician to do and not to do?

A physician assistant is a medical professional that is dependent on others. This means that he has to always work under the supervision of a licensed doctor. A licensed doctor is responsible for the medical actions of his physician assistant. He tells what to do every week , according to his skill level and time on the job. A physician assistant is responsible for many things which include the following:

Evaluating patients : A physician assistant has the ability to look at a patient's records, ask him about is medical circumstances, do physical tests , write up reports and forward them to the doctor.

Monitoring patients : A physician assistant can start up patient monitoring plans and give treatment to patients who are in the hospital or in other medical locations. He can also assist the doctor by seeing his patients and writing down the progress of each patient.

Helping Out Patients: He has the authority to do labs and analyze the outcome of lab, radiology , cardio and general procedures.

Performing therapeutics : Treat patients: PAs can administer injections and immunizations. They can suture and care for wounds and manage medical conditions brought about by trauma or infections. They can assist while the doctor manages complex and life-threatening conditions. They can overlook and guide blood withdrawal in a DUI/DWI case.

Counsel patients: Physician assistant can tell patients about the benefits of sticking to the doctor's planned treatment. They can also chime in and talk to patients about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, help them with stressful problems and other basic health concerns.

Transfer patients: Physician assistants can transfer patients to other healthcare providers and social agencies as they see fit.

What a physician assistant is prohibited from doing:

Physician assistants are not allowed to do other specialized requests for professions such as optometry or radiologic technology. They do not have the authority to sign the death certificate, however, they can produce the death statement.

How the law limits the physician assistant's scope of practice:

The reach of a physician assistant's practice is just an idea basically. Even the theory is not clear because it states that these services are a part of the physician's range of practice. Let us take North Carolina's law that places limitations on a PA's scope of practice as an example. Other states too would have laid down similar rules. Before we get into what a PA can or cannot do, you must know that no PA can perform any healthcare duty if his license is inactive or not current. So, these are the restrictions:

Drug prescriptions written by a PA must contain his identification number issued by the state. The physician assistant's doctor must jot down directions in reference to contraindications and indications and how they relate to the prescribed drugs in question. If the PA does not have these in writing, he cannot prescribe drugs. The doctor is also responsibile for giving his physician assistant written directives for prescription drugs. If no such document exists, the PA cannot prescribe drugs. If he does, he will be in violation of law. The state may also issue more limitations on the PA's drug prescription powers. So, all physician assistants should research their state laws before they issue drug prescriptions.

It is fine for physician assistants to prescribe drugs if it is done under the direct supervision of a licensed physician and within the guidelines that have been issued by the state.

A physician assistant can ask for certain hospital and healthcare facilities if his direct supervising physician as written down precise directives on how it should be done. If it is a difficult situation, then the supervising physician has to review his physician assistant's written request by a certain amount of time, which has been designated by state guidelines. Each medical facility that provides patient care should have written documents set in place that will ensure that physician assistant orders will be authenticated. They must confirm that these requested orders are advantageous for patients. The state might also come up with limitations on the types of tests that physician assistants can request.

All PAs are required to maintain a current and active license, an active registration with the state board, and have a current Intent of Practice filed with the state board.

Now, it is easy to understand how a physician assistant can do all of the functions that are within his scope of practice. This is only acceptable if it is approved by his supervising doctor and follows the state's rules. What a physician can do and what he cannot do therefore boils down to :

(a) The laws of the state

(b) The range of the physician assistant's functions described overall and by the state

(c) His physician authorizes this actions and it is okay with the state.

Also, the physician assistant has orders that have to be verified via the checks and balances system that are put into place by various healthcare locations. Basically, this explains the things that physician assistants are allowed to do.