Physician Assistants (PAs) are regulated health professionals under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).
PAs practise medicine under a doctor’s supervision in clinical settings; their services depend on the individual PA-physician relationship. A PA’s scope of practice can include the following:
- see and assess patients,
- take patient histories,
- perform physical exams,
- educate patients,
- perform procedures, and
- assist in surgery.
PAs also have the authorization to prescribe most medications. PAs cannot prescribe controlled substances or narcotics.
PAs prescribe in accordance with CPSA’s Restricted Activities Standard of Practice and a supervising physician is responsible for the prescription. The supervising physician must be clearly identified on the prescription (e.g., the supervising physician’s name, registration number or PRAC ID, and/or contact information). Although PAs practise under supervision, the supervising physician does not need to sign the prescription and regulated pharmacy members should attribute the prescription to the PA using their name and registration number.
Collaboration and documentation
Pharmacists are advised to collaborate with the prescribing physician assistant as needed when assessing patients who receive prescriptions from them. Pharmacists should expand this collaboration to include the supervising physician when they determine it is appropriate.
Consult the physicians, surgeons, and physician assistants prescribers list to identify PAs. When entering a dispensed event into electronic records, PAs should be entered in the same manner as a physician, as their practice permits are issued by CPSA.
For more information about physician assistants and their scope of practice, refer to CPSA’s Advice to the Profession: Physician Assistants.