NAC630.370. Supervising physician: Duties; qualifications.

     1. Except as otherwise provided in NAC 630.375, the supervising physician is responsible for all the medical activities of his or her physician assistant and shall ensure that:

     (a) The physician assistant is clearly identified to the patients as a physician assistant;

     (b) The physician assistant performs only those medical services which have been approved by his or her supervising physician;

     (c) The physician assistant does not represent himself or herself in any manner which would tend to mislead the general public, the patients of the supervising physician or any other health professional; and

     (d) There is strict compliance with:

          (1) The provisions of the certificate of registration issued to his or her physician assistant by the State Board of Pharmacy pursuant to NRS 639.1373; and

          (2) The regulations of the State Board of Pharmacy regarding controlled substances, poisons, dangerous drugs or devices.

     2. Except as otherwise required in subsection 3 or 4, the supervising physician shall review and initial selected charts of the patients of the physician assistant. Unless the physician assistant is performing medical services pursuant to NAC 630.375, the supervising physician must be available at all times that his or her physician assistant is performing medical services to consult with his or her assistant. Those consultations may be indirect, including, without limitation, by telephone.

     3. At least once a month, the supervising physician shall spend part of a day at any location where the physician assistant provides medical services to act as a consultant to the physician assistant and to monitor the quality of care provided by the physician assistant.

     4. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if the supervising physician is unable to supervise the physician assistant as required by this section, the supervising physician shall designate a qualified substitute physician, who practices medicine in the same specialty as the supervising physician, to supervise the assistant. If the physician assistant is performing medical services pursuant to NAC 630.375, the supervising physician is not required to comply with this subsection.

     5. A physician who supervises a physician assistant shall develop and carry out a program to ensure the quality of care provided by a physician assistant. The program must include, without limitation:

     (a) An assessment of the medical competency of the physician assistant;

     (b) A review and initialing of selected charts;

     (c) An assessment of a representative sample of the referrals or consultations made by the physician assistant with other health professionals as required by the condition of the patient;

     (d) Direct observation of the ability of the physician assistant to take a medical history from and perform an examination of patients representative of those cared for by the physician assistant; and

     (e) Maintenance by the supervising physician of accurate records and documentation regarding the program for each physician assistant supervised.

     6. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, a physician may supervise a physician assistant if the physician:

     (a) Holds an active license in good standing to practice medicine issued by the Board;

     (b) Actually practices medicine in this State; and

     (c) Has not been specifically prohibited by the Board from acting as a supervising physician.

     7. If the Board has disciplined a physician assistant pursuant to NAC 630.410, a physician shall not supervise that physician assistant unless the physician has been specifically approved by the Board to act as the supervising physician of that physician assistant.

     [Bd. of Medical Exam’rs, § 630.370, eff. 12-20-79]—(NAC A 6-23-86; 11-21-88; 9-12-91; 1-13-94; R149-97, 3-30-98; R108-01, 11-29-2001; R145-03, 12-16-2003; R005-07, 10-31-2007)