Bill Text: CA AB608 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 608 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Medical assistants.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-08-09 - From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D. [AB608 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB608-Amended.html

Amended IN Senate August 09, 2018

Amended IN Senate July 02, 2018

Amended IN Senate February 13, 2018

Amended IN Assembly January 03, 2018

Amended IN Assembly May 03, 2017

Amended IN Assembly March 01, 2017

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 608

Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin

February 14, 2017

An act to amend Section 2069 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 608, as amended, Irwin. Medical assistants.

Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of medicine by the Medical Board of California. The act authorizes a medical assistant to administer medication only by intradermal, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections and to perform skin tests and additional technical supportive services upon the specific authorization and supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, a licensed podiatrist, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife. Existing law defines the term “technical supportive services” to mean simple routine medical tasks and procedures that may be safely performed by a medical assistant who has limited training and who functions under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon, a licensed podiatrist, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife.

This bill would define “technical supportive services” to also include drawing up a local ~~aesthetic~~ anesthetic provided specified conditions are met.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 2069 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2069.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, a medical assistant may administer medication only by intradermal, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections and perform skin tests and additional technical supportive services upon the specific authorization and supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a licensed podiatrist. A medical assistant may also perform all these tasks and services upon the specific authorization of a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife.

(2) The supervising physician and surgeon may, at his or her discretion, in consultation with the nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant, provide written instructions to be followed by a medical assistant in the performance of tasks or supportive services. These written instructions may provide that the supervisory function for the medical assistant for these tasks or supportive services may be delegated to the nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant within the standardized procedures or protocol, and that tasks may be performed when the supervising physician and surgeon is not onsite, if either of the following apply:

(A) The nurse practitioner or certified nurse-midwife is functioning pursuant to standardized procedures, as defined by Section 2725, or protocol. The standardized procedures or protocol, including instructions for specific authorizations, shall be developed and approved by the supervising physician and surgeon and the nurse practitioner or certified nurse-midwife.

(B) The physician assistant is functioning pursuant to regulated services defined in Section 3502, including instructions for specific authorizations, and is approved to do so by the supervising physician and surgeon.

(b) As used in this section and Sections 2070 and 2071, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Medical assistant” means a person who may be unlicensed, who performs basic administrative, clerical, and technical supportive services in compliance with this section and Section 2070 for a licensed physician and surgeon or a licensed podiatrist, or group thereof, for a medical or podiatry corporation, for a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife as provided in subdivision (a), or for a health care service plan, who is at least 18 years of age, and who has had at least the minimum amount of hours of appropriate training pursuant to standards established by the board. The medical assistant shall be issued a certificate by the training institution or instructor indicating satisfactory completion of the required training. A copy of the certificate shall be retained as a record by each employer of the medical assistant.

(2) “Specific authorization” means a specific written order prepared by the supervising physician and surgeon or the supervising podiatrist, or the physician assistant, the nurse practitioner, or the certified nurse-midwife as provided in subdivision (a), authorizing the procedures to be performed on a patient, which shall be placed in the patient’s medical record, or a standing order prepared by the supervising physician and surgeon or the supervising podiatrist, or the physician assistant, the nurse practitioner, or the certified nurse-midwife as provided in subdivision (a), authorizing the procedures to be performed, the duration of which shall be consistent with accepted medical practice. A notation of the standing order shall be placed on the patient’s medical record.

(3) “Supervision” means the supervision of procedures authorized by this section by the following practitioners, within the scope of their respective practices, who shall be physically present in the treatment facility during the performance of those procedures:

(A) A licensed physician and surgeon.

(B) A licensed podiatrist.

(4) (A) “Technical supportive services” means simple routine medical tasks and procedures that may be safely performed by a medical assistant who has limited training and who functions under the supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a licensed podiatrist, or a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife as provided in subdivision (a).

(B) Notwithstanding any other law, in a facility licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy under Section 4180 or 4190, other than a facility operated by the state, “technical supportive services” also includes handing to a patient a prepackaged prescription drug, excluding a controlled substance, that is labeled in compliance with Section 4170 and all other applicable state and federal laws and ordered by a licensed physician and surgeon, a licensed podiatrist, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife in accordance with subdivision (a). In every instance, prior to handing the medication to a patient pursuant to this subparagraph, the properly labeled and prepackaged prescription drug shall have the patient’s name affixed to the package and a licensed physician and surgeon, a licensed podiatrist, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife shall verify that it is the correct medication and dosage for that specific patient and shall provide the appropriate patient consultation regarding use of the drug.

(C) Notwithstanding any other law, “technical supportive services” also includes drawing up a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine in a syringe, provided all of the following conditions are met:

(i) A supervising licensed physician and surgeon, licensed podiatrist, licensed physician assistant, licensed nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife ~~is present while~~ physically observes the medical assistant ~~is drawing~~ draw up the anesthetic.

(ii) A supervising licensed physician and surgeon, licensed podiatrist, licensed physician assistant, licensed nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife verifies that each syringe label is accurate.

(iii) The anesthetic is a local anesthetic and is reconstituted by someone with a license to do so or comes reconstituted from the manufacturer.

(1) The licensure of medical assistants.

(2) The administration of local anesthetic agents by a medical assistant.

(3) The board to adopt any regulations that violate the prohibitions on diagnosis or treatment in Section 2052.

(4) A medical assistant to perform any clinical laboratory test or examination for which he or she is not authorized by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200).

(5) A nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant to be a laboratory director of a clinical laboratory, as those terms are defined in paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) of Section 1206 and subdivision (a) of Section 1209.

(d) A nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant shall not authorize a medical assistant to perform any clinical laboratory test or examination for which the medical assistant is not authorized by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200). A violation of this subdivision constitutes unprofessional conduct.

(e) Notwithstanding any other law, a medical assistant shall not be employed for inpatient care in a licensed general acute care hospital, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code.

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to assist physicians and surgeons with the treatment of their patients by utilizing medical assistants to draw up a local anesthetic under certain circumstances to protect the public health and safety, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.