WOW! It has been an exciting time in the legislative and regulatory maze of West Virginia rules affecting PAs.

How would you like to get your formulary off the back of your prescriptions for the West Virginia Board of Medicine? It may happen!

The West Virginia Board of Medicine (WVBOM) proffered two significant rules changes that would affect PAs.

Originally WVBOM rule TITLE 11 - SERIES 1B: LICENSURE, DISCIPLINARY AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES, CONTINUING EDUCATION - PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS would have limited PA effectiveness by requiring that the Physician see a patient at every third visit and continued the PA formulary printed on the back of the prescription.

But, after diligent work by the WVAPA leadership, (KRIS MUSICK, CYNTHIA VINCENT, KC LOVIN); WVBOM PA representative, DEAN WRIGHT; WVAPA’s governmental relations specialist/lobbyist, THOM STEVENS and AAPA constituent legislative staff contacts ANN DAVIS and STEPHANIE RADIX the WVBOM rule TITLE 11 - SERIES 1B: LICENSURE, DISCIPLINARY AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES, CONTINUING EDUCATION - PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS’ final language reflects all of the modifications we suggested, including key provisions such as: (1) removing the requirement that the supervising physician must see the patient every third visit. (2) removing the requirement that PAs must only use prescription pads with imprinted drug categories which are to be provided to area pharmacies. (3) inserting new language allowing PAs to use regular script pads and to utilize e-prescribing.

The original proposed WVBOM rule TITLE 11- SERIES 10: DEFINITION OF SURGERY RULES would have substantially removed the ability of any PA to perform any surgical activity without the Physician being present in the room. This rule was not proposed because of PAs or Nurse Practitioners, but because of the proliferation spa services performed by aestheticians.